Bricks
by hopelessandhelpless
Summary: AU: Will and Rachel meet at the airport after graduation when both of them are leaving to NYC. "New beginnings" acquires a new meaning none of them was expecting.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hey! I'm new here and this is my first fic. I hope you enjoy it. Feedback would be apreciated.

I don't own Glee.

"**Bricks": **

**CHAPTER I:**

She hugs her dads like she's never going to see them again and they say their goodbyes for the 100th time. The day has arrived, their little diva is all grown up now and ready to fly away from the nest. They are exited, they trust her, they expect great things for her in life, however, that doesn't make letting go any easier. On the other hand, she's never been more happy and terrified at once. She has been ready for this moment since she has a memory, which she swears, was in utero. Rachel has practiced her goodbye and I love you speeches for years and she can proudly say she has delivered them gracefully. It's real now, it's happening. Lima's resident star is going to make the world her oyster, or some vegan version of that frase.

Rachel takes a deep breath and walks away from them while "New York, New York" plays in her head, it's an acoustic version sung by herself. A sign everything will be as fabulous as she's always imagined. It's also her own head playing tricks on her, a placebo, but she doesn't mind. She smiles to herself while tapping her fingers to the imaginary tune on her pink suitcase.

Waiting near Gate 6, Will Shuester stares blankly at his feet. This new chapter on his life has a big fat question mark hanging over it. He is too old to try to make it on Broadway, he has no one to hug him goodbye and no one waiting for him once he's off the plane. His students are still celebrating High school ended, and they don't need him anymore. The world is unaffected whatever he does or doesn't do. That is how he feels. Nostalgic and worthless. Worn down and lonely. He has encouraged others to follow his dreams but he was an hypocrite, he has been a coward. He had played it safe long enough and now he was finally trying to make a change for himself, but the leap he was taking was giving him heartburn. It wasn't just the feeling something was missing, he felt HE had missed on everything.

Sure, he would have new students in a new school, more blank canvases to paint on but Ney York was not Lima so he believes they will have huge expectations when it comes to the new School Choir teacher. A man from a small town who had strugged to keep a group of twelve every year. A man whose wife had faked a pregnancy without him figuring it out... He shook his head trying to erase the recollections and dissipate the doubt that was making his heart so heavy and reached for the bottle of water in his backpack. When he had it in his hands he saw her, 5'2" of pretty, filled with anger and excitement, having an argument he couldn't hear with the lady in front of gate 6. He stood up and neared the two.

"Rach?" Rachel turned to him in surprise. "Mr. Shue!" Her whole body was smiling at him which made him smile in return. "What are you doing here? If you are about to beg me to stay and help you with your new students next year, save it. I'm sorry to crush your hopes and probably the only shot at having another national winning team but as you already know, Broadway is waiting for me." She stopped talking almost breathless and looked at him intently, waiting for him to say something in return (maybe to fight for her to stay?), only she had no idea what kind of answer he could offer her since she had practically told him what he was thinking, and what her answer to his alleged question might be. Will couldn't help but let a laugh escape. That was the Rachel Berry he so well knew. And if he had to be completely honest, she wasn't completely wrong.

"Rachel, that is not why I'm here." He said while he was still processing her words, it have never occurred to him to ask her to stay and help him. Now the question was why. It would have made sense for him to consider that instead of simply leaving. It would have been easy to do that, yes, one more easy way out. One more excuse not to face how passive he had been when it came to his own dreams...

"Oh." She looked down for a beat, then up again. Now her eyes were filled with curiosity. Was he there to say goodbye too? How had he managed to get to the gate? The Lady next to the gate was long forgotten but looking at them in utter confusion. "Is everything ok?" He asked Rachel looking briefly at the lady."Yes," She nodded, "well no, not really, I want a valid explanation as to why exactly I have to wait two hours if my plane is already here. It's rude!" Will laughed. "You are anxious, Rach. Let's sit". And with that, the poor employee was left behind as ex student and ex Glee coach headed to where he was sitting before spotting Rachel.

"I'm sorry Mr. Shue, now you are probably thinking I'm being unreasonable but I have the need to leave and be the star I was born to be, and gate 6 is keeping me from it! Not to mention these seats are not comfortable." Will thought she couldn't be more more adorable yet her attitude could be perceived as 100% annoying. For a second he recalled what his initial thoughts on Rachel were when he first met her. He understood the employee guarding the gate, but he knew Rachel and he could relate to her too. A younger version of himself could anyway.

"Nothing can stop you, Rachel." He sat and motioned for her to do the same. She complied silently but that silence didn't last long. "Then I fail to understand why you are here." He breathed in feeling he was about to disappoint her with his answer. "I'm not here to stop you. That would never cross my mind. I'm leaving too." He pointed at his lugagge causing Rachel's jaw to drop. "Where?" Was all she could manage to say.

"New York City. I guess you've heard of that place." He teased and both shared a small smile. "So you are following me. I never pictured you as a stalker Mr. Shue." She nudged him. "Who's to say I'm the stalker? You could be following me, Rach." He replied with sudden confidence, but that confidence faded fast. As she scanned his face. "Oh my God, am I flirting with my stu… ex student?" Was the question/worry that invaded his mind. That was highly inappropriate. Wasn't it? Perhaps it wasn't because if they were in fact flirting, she had started. The problem was that that was a childish reasoning. Then again, she had always made him remember of his younger self. He felt how conflic building inside and wondered if she could see that, not sure if he wanted her to.

"I guess you would be right. As my track record clearly shows I have stalked you before. However, I am happy to inform you this is not the case. I wasn't aware you were leaving too, which leads me to an obvious question." For a reason she couldn't understand she felt slightly betrayed by him. She was also confused as to why she was somehow proud of her acknowledgment as a stalker. She had been ashamed of her little crush years before but not now...

She tilted her head and lowered her tone. "Why didn't you tell us?" He shruged and proceeded to give her the simplest explanation he could think of. "No one asked if I had any plans after you graduated." There was sadness in his tone. He was a bit pained no one had asked him but at the same time, since he wasn't graduating there was no reason to indicate his life would take a new direction. Rachel had just realized that and felt a little guilty. They didn't know this but in that moment they were both feeling sorry for him and how predictable he seemed to be.

"I'm happy for you, Mr. Shue. Congratulations on your new job." She said politely while trying to read him. She noticed hurt and disappointment in his eyes. And something else she couldn't quite put a finger on. But she was Rachel Berry, she was going to get to the bottom of it.

"Thanks." He said with a smile. "It's the least I could do after you rescued me from the gate lady. She was mean! She probably doesn't have the faintest idea of what having my talent and potential feels like. Granted, I was somewhat harsh at her but… sorry, I'm rambling." He took his bottle in his hands again and offered her some water. "That's ok." He simply said. He had gotten it right from the start, Rachel was nervous and eager to be in NYC in equal measure. "I'm not sad, Mr. Shue." She said a bit defensively, throwing him off guard. He didn't know what she was talking about, after all she had never shared with him the fact that she got thirsty whenever she was upset. For some reason she expected him to know, though. "Good." He said still confused. "Me neither, Rach". He offered a smile.

They spent a while in silence. Each one of them lost in their own thoughts. She was checking her mental list of the things she would do as soon as she was in the city of her dreams while he was asking himself if them being in the same place again and not knowing anyone else was a blessing or a curse. His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed she was tapping her fingers on her knee. "Nervous?" He pointed at her fingers. "Just happy." She smiled. He meant to say something back but was interrupted by the announcement their gate was open. The both of them stood up and walked towards the gate, that suddenly, seemed bigger than before. They showed their one way tickets proudly to the gate lady, who faked a smile at them and then walked away from her. Without a warning, Rachel abruptly stood still. Will did the same and looked at her without saying a word. He could sense nerves were kicking in since his own butterflies were driving him crazy. She took his hand in his and bit her lip. He stared at their linked hands and smiled at her as if he was giving her permission. The honest truth was he felt a bit like a creeper holding the young lady's hand, specially since her actions mimicked a little girl reaching for her dad's hand before crossing the street, but he also knew as brave as she was, she might have needed to feel safe, he knew he did, so there was no harm in their actions. They shared a sigh and continued to walk again, hand in hand.

That is how they were starting a new journey.


	2. Chapter 2

"**Bricks": **

**CHAPTER II:**

What were the chances they would sit next to one another? Slim to none. Yes, that's right. Life is not a romantic comedy. Rachel found her seat first but didn't sit, she stood next to it watching as he went and look for his own seat. He smiled at that. She was, once more, micromanaging things, in this case, she was assessing the distance between them, but he didn't let his mind linger on that, after all, there could be many reasons for her to do that, instead, he was glad for what she was doing and couldn't help but thinking he would have done the same if he had found his seat before she did. Granted, for that to happen he would have had to check planes of their plane before hand, just like she had. This didn't change reality, he was still self-aware. He had no one to say goodbye to in that airport, but at least now he had someone who he knew, would be checking up on him. Someone he wanted to check up on too. This flight was going to be interesting to say the least.

Their eyes were locked all the way while he was heading towards his aisle but it didn't feel intimate for any of them. They just wanted to feel safe and cared for in a place were they were absolutely anonymous, in a place in between their past life and the journey ahead; at least that was what they guessed. Soon enough Will pointed her where he would be siting and pushing aside the thought it was silly to do so, she waved at him. Then proceeded to sit. They weren't close but they would still be able to see the other from their respective places.

Rachel would never admit it, but that put her more at ease. She was starting to feel the bittersweet mixed feelings people experience when they leave home; the anticipation being tainted by the nostalgia, the loneliness that she always felt every time she finished a book even if she had the next three she would start to read picked and nearby. She felt thirsty again and thought he had water but battled the notion of ... she didn't know what notion she was fighting anymore... She stared at her own hands on her lap trying not to figure out why her train of thought had shied away so much from New York, Broadway and the future she would meet there. Rachel felt a little dizzy as the rest of the passengers were starting to have small talk with one another and without realizing it, out of the blue, she was thinking about her first year in Glee club, when Mr. Shue had to quit his position after the mattress debacle and the gleekers had to get into that bus on their own. That particular recollection hit her hard. The feeling of watching him with sad eyes from that bus had been powerful and excruciating. In a way, it was similar to what she was experiencing now only that at that time he was selflessly sending his students off to meet their success, exchanging the dreams of twelve (not really twelve at the time is she was being realistic), for his own. This time he was there, relatively close, while she was leaving. In fact, they were going to the same place, even if it wasn't planned, even if they weren't really going together. Her thoughts weren't making much sense at this point. That had happened years ago and there were other competitions after that one were he had been there, the fact that fist one was ringing in her head bothered her. She knew exactly why. She couldn't then but she was older now, time had passed and now she could admit to herself that that time she had desperately wanted him to be there. She had felt she was leaving him behind when that bus took off, and that had felt awful. That had felt like a break up. Yet being in the same plane didn't feel like a reunion, but it felt like something. As more thoughts started to align in her head, instinctively Rachel put her earphones on and tried to drown them with her "awesome Broadway mix by Rachel Berry" play list.

Will was fighting his own mind for very different reasons. He was feeling it was his responsibility to take care of Rachel now he knew they were both in the same flight. Even though she was completely capable of taking care of herself and despite the fact she had graduated and was no longer his protégé, he felt this was the last thing he could do for her. Just as he had let her take his hand and let him lead her to the inside of the plane, just as he had let her know where he was sitting and that he was indeed, there for her as much as he was with her. That very thought made him slightly angry at Rachel; he had his own demons to fight, his own goodbye to Lima and the life he had decided to leave behind, to pay. He wanted that flight to be something different, to close his eyes as soon as he sat and to open them once he was in his new city. The last thing he needed was a transition filled with memories and a petite brunette reminding him the life he was now in part, dreading could be following him. It wasn't her fault and he knew it. She had no blame to bare when it came to his own mistakes and the stand still he had hit, but with her so close he feared he was still feeling like the Glee teacher that cared more about his students than about himself. She was making him feel the love he had felt for that group had translated into neglect to himself. The problem was one last look at her breathing heavily as she stared at the window made him forget about his anger. He suddenly remembered about that time when he had wanted to ride that bus with the group and couldn't. He remembered seeing her wet eyes, knowing she needed his reassurance, realizing she needed him to be there. Along with the memory, the feelings resurfaced. Now he was there... anger vanished to be replaced by something else.

After the plane took off, Will took his shoes off and grabbed a book from his backpack. Tennessee Williams would both distract him and keep his eyes focused on the pages instead of on a certain former student. That tactic proved to be successful until it really wasn't enough. He discretely took a look in Rachel's direction when he noticed she was rubbing her eyes. He tried to convince himself she was probably feeling sleepy, and hoped that was the case. But he knew better and he knew her. It wasn't likely she would be tired on that particular day, and witnessing how exited she was, the idea of her being able to sleep didn't make much sense, if at all. Suddenly she stood up and walked to the bathroom. That was more than enough answer for him: she was on the verge of tears. Knowing this made him wonder if he should follow her and make sure she was fine. He cared about her, so naturally the very idea of her crying alone in a tiny booth was killing him, but he didn't want to invade her so he was questioning if going after her would be appropriate. On that same note, would letting her cry alone would have been cruel?

Mumbling a "what the hell" he stood up and walked to the bathroom. The light wasn't on so he figured she was feeling so miserable she had forgotten to lock.

He opened the door without knocking and to his surprise a tall middle-aged man turned to him. He quickly apologized to the man and closed the door after hearing unflattering things about his mother coming from the man's mouth.

He knocked on the other's booth door, feeling stupid. Sad or not, the Rachel Berry he knew would have always locked the door, paranoia had always kicked in when she needed it. "Rachel? Is everything ok?" He said tenderly. "Yes, Mr. Shuester." She replied between sobs. "Can I come in for a second?" His tone showcased his worry, but she didn't reply, instead he could hear her crying loudly. "Please, Rach, I just violated a man's privacy and he might try to punch me, you would be doing me a favor." Then she opened the door for him, giggling while tears kept streaming from her eyes. "I guess it's my turn to rescue you." She said as he closed the door. "Thank you." He said in a tone so low it resembled a whisper. "No problem," She sighed at the self awareness he was seeing her cry. It had been a long time since she had let him see her unravel. "I don't know why I was so overtaken by sadness, I..." he interrupted her "You are overwhelmed." Without realizing it he was whipping the tears from her eyes. They were very close in the small bathroom, and both felt that moment was somewhat intimate, yet that thought was fleeting, awkwardness was invading them both. "I guess I am." Rachel sighed again and tried to smile. "Ok, I'm fine, do you think it's safe for you to get out?" And just like that awkwardness was shot dead. Her paranoia was endearing most of the times.

They got out of the bathroom and he walked her to her seat in silence. Once they were in front of A4 they stared at each other, she wasn't sure if she had to thank him for going after her or say anything at all, she also wasn't sure if she could sit. Rachel was absolutely confused about plane etiquete involving the two of them. As far as Will went, the scene was overwhelming for him. They were staring at each other in front of the seats. Inevitably, he was feeling like he had just walked his date to her door, only this wasn't even close to being a date and she was Rachel. Yet two thoughts that should have been mutually exclusive, weren't. A question mark was hanging over him, why on earth was he comparing this with a situation that involved a hesitant kiss? Rachel interrupted his thoughts when she sat and shrugged at him. She had no clue why she was shrugging. This flight with her old teacher was a lot to handle, she realized, as he felt glad she was giving him some sort of out of that strange kiss query. Then he surprised her by asking the elderly woman who was siting next to her if she would mind switching seats with him. The woman, nodded. He helped her with her luggage and walked with her to his seat, where he took his backpack and shoes, while Rachel was looking at the whole sequence. She giggled when he made it back and sat holding his shoes. It wasn't until now she noticed he had gone after her barefoot. She thought that was cute, in his head, he was being pathetic.

"I can't believe you saw a man peeing, Mr. Shue. Why didn't you knock?" She said laughing. Truth be told he didn't know how to reply to that, he should have considered knocking, but he hadn't and couldn't explain why. Or maybe he could... "I was worried about you" He shrugged. "What if I was peeing?" She retorted fast. His mouth went dry. She had a good point, what if she had? Suddenly, seeing that man didn't seem so terrible. "I guess I you would have slapped me?" He laughed nervously. "For future reference, Mr. Shue, I would never leave a door unlocked nor do I understand people who do that, it's an invitation to... well, in some cases I do understand, there have been countless movies where the leads decide to join the mile high club but aside from those movies, the very idea of an unlocked door feels dangerous to me." With that, Will's head started to spin, she had had him at "future reference", then again, had he secretly been expecting her to leave the door unlocked for him? Will disguised the shame that thought caused him to experience "You are right, Rach.", then both sighed and he offered her some water for the second time that day. This time she took the bottle and smiled at him, they didn't neeed to discuss her feelings any further. In fact, neither of them knew what to say. She was simply glad he was giving her water.

The movies available for them to watch were dreadful. Rachel wasn't happy with her options and decided to write a formal complaint to the airline later. Even though Will agreed with her, he felt she was overreacting. The list of movies was bad but complaining was over the top. Maybe that king of lack when it came to taking action was what had drove him to hit so many dead ends, he considered for a second. He smiled at Rachel who was also smiling at him, the difference was she has mischief in her eyes. "Not that this will surprise you in any way but I have a plan B." she nodded "I have my laptop with me and I have quite a few movies that showcase New Yor city, maybe we can watch one." She offered. "Go ahead Rach, I think I'm going to read for a little while." Will replied for some reason trying to avoid a shared activity. "Suit yourself but if you ask me I think you should start a new book once we land, make the metaphor complete. You know metaphors ARE important." She said practically schooling him. He couldn't help to agree as his curiosity about her movie choices was kicking in. That was how they ended up watchign "Manhattan" in her computer, sharing her pink earphones. Heads close, whispers with long comments about the dialogs and the performance and long sighs provoked by the locations they will soon visit. Watching that movie together felt right. It fit and didn't feel weird. Rachel and Will were both sharing the same reassuring thought: they could spend time together and not feel awkwardness. He could be a bit more carefree about the people around them and what they could be thinking about them sharing the pink headphones while she could share with him all her knowledge on Woody Allen's body of work.

Will had fallen asleep and Rachel was starting to feel tired. She kept staring at him even though deep down she had always believed staring at people while they sleep is 110% creepy. She realized she was fighting the urge to cuddle. A voice that, sounded suspiciously like Santana's was telling her to "go for it" while her own was being more cautious by advising her "Rachel Berry, you cannot be thinking about your teacher in that way. You are just feeling vulnerable, don't do anything you might regret." She sighed at that, knowing there was a possibility she wouldn't regret it but also aware there was a bigger chance he might reject her the same way he had done years ago. She closed her eyes and killed the voices in her head with the imaginary tune she was "listening to" when she was still waiting to board her plane.

Rachel and Will opened their eyes slowly as the pilot announced they were about to land. Only God knows how they had ended up cuddling. Her head was on his chest and his arms were protectively wrapped around her. Maybe she had given in, or he might had walked that extra mile in order to make her feel safe, maybe blanckets just weren't enough ... what it was they weren't sure and without saying a word she stirred and sat up, watching the city through the window. "Flights are nuts!" Rachel thought to herself. He was still to shocked to think. His body heating even after the loss of hers. She kept watching the view and his profile, the sight was beautiful. They shared a smile just because and didn't make a huge deal about the sleeping arrangements that had taken them both by surprise.

So there they were. Leaving the airport, starting a new life in the same city. They had walked hand in hand towards the plane, he had consoled her and seen a man's private. They even had cuddled. Now he was carrying their luggage. If anyone would have asked them they wouldn't have known how to explain that very chain of events or how if didn't feel weird for them to have shared so much. Sharing a taxi fit in that equation. Like a ride in the same vehicle would make a difference after cuddling...

With wide eyes and loud sighs they both drown in their own amazement at the view. Now it was real, they were there, in New York City. The car parked in front of her building. Her dads had rented a nice apartment for her in a quiet neighborhood. While he was helping her with her luggage she was barely fighting the temptation to ask him something, luckily for Rachel, Will took the initiative. "Hey, Rach, you have my number, feel free to call or text if you ever need anything, ok?" He said while puting his hands in his pockets. "Thank you Mr. Shue." she said with a smile before kissing him on the cheek. At that moment he froze completely. It was stupid to be so overwhelmed by a kiss on the cheek, yet he felt his knees weakening, like if he was a shy teenager. His confusion was so powerful he couldn't bring himself to reply, which made his shock over that meaningful thank you kiss so apparent to her. She hugged him, partly because she felt she had to and partly due to the fact that she knew she was challenging him somehow, Rachel Berry would never walk away from a his arms enveloped her while he was still pretty much speechless. Rachel smiled victoriously, she hadn't intended to make him feel uncomfortable but she suddenly realized she had some kind of power over him, and she felt proud of that. That pride turn into cockiness in a millisecond. She pulled away. "Mr. Shue?" He stared at her quizzically "Try not to stalk me much now." She smiled walking away from him and towards her entrance door. "I know where you live Rachel." He raised the bet, two could play that game, whatever the game was. "Only because I let you." She said with more confidence than ever causing him to throw his arms in the air in a mock surrender that made them both share a loud laugh. "And one more thing before you leave, I will no longer be calling you "Mr. Shue", Will. You are not a figure of authority any longer which means formalities are not needed." She said smiling widely as he stared at her, smiling like an idiot. "Good night, Rach." Was all he could come with before getting into the cab. He wasn't sure if he was cowardly running away or doing the right thing. Still he was positive that was them being flirtatious New York style.

As he left her behind waving from the car, both sighed separately. That memory about the bus striking again God damn it! Then both smiled to themselves. This chapter of their lives was different. He didn't need his students success to be complete, he needed to find his own and in order for that to happen he had to chase one dream instead of putting it on the 13th place. She didn't have to feel sad after seeing him leave.

Rachel got into the building struggling with her bags. As much as the sight of her empty apartment depressed her for about fifteen minutes, she also realized the empty space smelled like potential and possibilities. This was the place were her life would start. Something inside her was telling her she wouldn't be as alone as she thought she would be when she left a second thought she realized she hadn't exactly left alone.

A.N.: Thanks so much for the feedback on the first chapter. I did notice views and reviews don't match, so don't be shy guys! I hope you are liking the story so far.


	3. Chapter 3

"**Bricks": **

**CHAPTER III:**

Rachel was wrong. She was completely alone. It was actually significantly worse than that: she felt alone. Her first night on her own in that apartment could only be described as "a first night from hell in New York City heaven", a line she had decided to quote in her autobiography when the time came, which she, of course, hoped was sooner rather than later. When she had imagined her first night in the city, she pictured herself falling asleep while staring at the stars in the sky. She thought she would drift off with a smile in her lips and a tune in her ears and that she would dream about all the amazing things she would accomplish there. Reality didn't grant her that wish.

Rachel had hated silence since she was a child, but she had always turned that particular lemon into the most exquisite of lemonades by singing whenever a room felt too silent. Every moment came with its own musicality, that she was convinced of and had helped her in life, now the problem was she couldn't really deal with the noises of the night invading her apartment and every thought. There she was, tired from her flight, with lingering contradictory emotions from the time she and Will spent together, nursing new hopes and dreams, and with a desperate want to write a thousand songs before getting her beauty sleep in order to be fully prepared to take the city by storm the next day. Yet she couldn't concentrate. Between the scrams and sobs of the crying baby from the apartment next door, the constant sirens, the cars rushing on the pavement and the rants of drunken men finding flaws is science she was too invaded. Her thoughts suffocated at birth.

Every single noise made her jump and as much as she wanted to "pull a Snow White" and sing to bring each element into perfect harmony, she couldn't. In a way, she was feeling bullied by the city, which, needless to say, was unexpected and didn't fit her plan on the slightest. She felt like crying, the sounds of a city that, no joke, didn't sleep and the new the mattress that felt far too hard on her back, were preventing her to get any rest at all. She needed some peace, needed a hug, a lullaby, probably dark chocolate and most than everything, ear plugs to protect her. She drank tons of water that night. As a result, she had to use the bathroom a lot. That didn't help with her beauty sleep either. Just like that, doubts and new fears started to chase her dreams and eat them alive. Rachel cried herself to sleep hoping tomorrow things would be better.

Meanwhile, Will had decided to work on a list of everything he needed to do. Listening to Rachel on the plane he came to the wise conclusion that he needed some guidelines in order to confront this new chapter in life. Rachel's paranoia and compulsion to control were inspiring him, making him move towards something concrete. He half smiled at the thought. It was cute how he was learning from her but at the same time it was sad he had no clue whatsoever how to tackle life on the knees. He felt unprepared and lost. He also wondered how he had managed to survive alone before. That word was causing him serious heartburn "survived", that was what he had done, instead of living he had just survived, but why?

The answer was both obvious and painful. His life had been circular and dull. He would wake up, go to school, teach, then come back, cook, and grade tests and assignments. He would spend his spare time looking into songs for Glee while some film was playing in the background and during weekends he would work out in the morning and clean his place afterwards. That same routine week after week. Him barely scratching the surface of his potential day after day. It was no wonder why he was so invested in his Glee students. At least they had some excitement in their lives. As petty as their little mini dramas were, they felt everything with all their hearts. And one of them wanted everything too much... his inner young Will was yelling at him once again; asking where time had gone, where drive and passion had laid... he had projected himself in young boys and girls he coached, and by doing that he had lost his own path. He had examined the misses and hits of the members of the group he coached instead of looking into his own flaws and the tools he had.

It started with a dull marriage and its inevitable demise, with sacrifice after sacrifice in order to make a relationship work just because the memory of teen romance was to pretty to let go and it ended with tedium, anger and a collection of regrets. His divorce papers didn't reflect the sense of loss he had felt when he realized the price he had paid for that marriage. But they didn't make him proactive to make any real change either... he had no excuse as to why his life had so little meaning now. He could only blame himself for every chance not taken.

His free hand formed a fist. He wasn't going to get any younger and opportunities were absolutely NOT going to fall on his lap. This was HIS time, his chance. His way out and his redemption, there was no margin for error, so yes, he needed a plan. A list was some kind of start in the right path. As he sighed at his inner mea culpa he wished he had seen Rachel's list, he was sure there were a thing or twenty she had written down that he could have used, but even that thought was annoying him. He needed Rachel now? He needed his teenage ex student to show him the way? The very concept was absurd. While confronting that argument he thought maybe the reason he was thinking about her so much had a lot to do with the fact they had shared a key milestone, but what he was fearing the most was the notion he was thinking about her to distract himself from his own failure. If that was the case, he needed to stop. Wll needed to work on Will. That meant texting her good night or asking her if she had settled was out of question.

Rachel woke up to puffy red eyes, a heavy heart and an empty stomach. She saw her dads had texted her a "Good morning, sunshine. Is life bright and shiny already?" and that made her feel sick to her stomach, she had to fake a nice reply reassuring them. After a few texts going back and forth between Rachel and her dads, the petite brunette fought the tempting need to curl up in bed and cry, instead she got up, washed her face and forced herself to hum her song to gradually get in a better mood than the one she was in. It worked to an extent. Coffee would make everything better, though. She took a quick shower, got dressed and decided to inspect her new neighborhood. Her own flair for the dramatic and a first off night shouldn't bring her so far down, she new that.

The streets were crowded and she may have been still sleepy but she felt better as air hit her face. She was now part of all the noises that were upsetting her before. What made her feel even more confident about her day taking a turn for the better was spotting a little coffee house right on the corner of her block. For some unthinkable reason, she had missed it the night before. She went inside and flashed her mega watt smile at the employee that gave her her tall black coffee to go, paid and left to continue exploring her surroundings. Rachel felt her movie was just starting, the opening credits might have been terrible, however, scene one was making perfect sense.

Will woke up to the sound of a persistent knock on his door. He opened to find an old lady staring at him while petting her little Chihuahua, the ugliest dog he had seen in his life.

"Hello." he politely said asking himself what the lady was doing there. He was convinced he was about to find out.

"Good morning, I'm Mrs. Elmira Montgomery, your next door neighbor, and this is Oscar the third." she pointed at the horrible creature in her arm.

"I thought an introduction was in order." She added. Will had always been cordial and for some reason he felt annoyed by the woman and her dog.

"Nice to meet you, I'm William Shuester." He replied being colder than he had ever been to anyone. He didn't really mean to come off that way but he was tired and felt invaded. He and the lady shook hands.

"Not married I see. Divorced?" There was no subtlety in that question, Will felt like Mrs. Montgomery was slapping him on the face as her little dog starred at him funny. She had no busyness asking him such a personal question. "Great," he thought "a nosy neighbor". But the best strategy out of the conversation was to actually reply and end this sort impromptu meeting.

"Yes. Happily." He said giving her too much information but also feeling thrilled because there was vindication in his statement.

"Good for you, young man." She retorted. "If you need anything you know where to find me, have a nice day." And with that she turned to leave and disappeared in front of his eyes before he could say anything. He felt like he was in a Dickens book, where magical, complex characters show up abruptly to wake the lead characters, to then disappear on thin air. He closed his door with a half smile, ready to start his day earlier than he had hoped.

Rachel was in awe taking pictures with her phone. Everything made an excellent subject. Kids running around, the trees, the countless cars, the ancient buildings... even cigarette butts on the side walk looked poetic. She had lost track of time taking pictures and marking her map but she was pretty sure it was time for her to do some grocery shopping. She was planing on making a great dinner for herself in order to celebrate her first day in the city. She was wondering if Will would be interested in joining her for such a pivotal event, after all it was his first day in New York as well... she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious about what he had been up to, truth be told, she was also disappointed he hadn't check on her at all. She refused to text him first. So far she had been able to do just fine on her own and the last thing she needed was for him to think she was a stray dog following him around with puppy eyes. The rejection from the time she had had that teenage crush on him had stayed with her all those years, whether she liked to admit it or not. She narrowed her eyes at the memory and kept walking with her grocery bag secretly hoping he would text her. In fact, if that was to take place, she had the whole scenario planned in her head...

Will made the most of his day. Not only he inspected his surroundings, after having breakfast from a cart, he jogged for about an hour and a half, that way, he was building stamina, working out on a week day -a radical move coming from him- and getting some much needed distraction. His thoughts were starting to organize. His new life was starting on a high note and he was proud of the plunge he had taken by deciding to move and start again. As he was undressing to take a shower he felt guilty for not keeping in touch with Rachel, he knew if something had happened he would already know, at least that was what he hoped for but at the same time the image of her taking his hand replayed in his mind. Maybe she still needed him and he was letting go of her hand due to unreasonable fears he chose to leave uncatalogued for the time being.

For the second time in a 24 hour period of time he mumbled a "what the hell", picked his phone and called her. Rachel's face light up when she saw his name on the screen.

"Took you long enough Mr. Sh- Will" was the thought that assaulted her mind. "Stalking me already? I thought you had more pride than that..." she greeted him feeling even more confident than the night before, which was an easy thing to do since he wasn't staring at her with his arms awkwardly at his sides after the hug she had coerced him into. Once again, he was thrown off guard and was deeply regretting not planning exactly what to tell her. "...however, you make a lousy stalker, this day is almost over. Hello by the way." she added feeling she had overdone it with her opening phrase, which, she clearly had judging by his silence.

"Hey, Rach," he laughed "you are in a good mood" he had to state the obvious, other than that he had no idea what to say next, was she upset he hadn't called before or was he in fact a stalking her?

"Indeed. I had an amazing day, how about you?" she was toning down her own confidence

"That was what I was hoping for, my day was good too, I just wanted to make sure you were doing fine" He said as he stared blankly at the water running.

"That is very thoughtful, thank you. What did you do today?" She was making conversation, and he was actually glad she was, aside from Mrs. Montgomery, he hadn't spoken to anyone so far. He turned down the water.

"Well, I met a neighbor and her dog and..." his sentence was interrupted by her.

"What was that noise?" . He froze for a beat, "crap, Rachel and her perfect hearing." Now what was he supposed to say? Telling her he had though of her while being naked and had in fact called her sounded too predatory. As a matter of fact, how in the world had that happened? He blushed while she was still waiting for an answer.

"I was doing the dishes." He lied hoping she would buy it.

"Oh, ok. Have you noticed how noisy this city is at night? I felt miserable while trying to sleep, there was such much violence in all the noises and movement! It wasn't the perfect night I expected to have, thankfully this day made up for that." He felt like a jerk for not texting her the night before, he perceived some sadness in her tone so he was sure she had a tougher night than she was letting him believe.

"You will get used to it, don't worry." He tried to reassure her.

"I know but just in case I bought ear plugs so I can adjust a little faster. I can't afford to look like a zombie in New York." He laughed again, even though he was still feeling guilty.

"Good thinking." He replied trying to let her lead the conversation, she probably needed someone to talk to as much as he did and even if could imply that once more he was putting her needs before his, the truth was talking to her so organically was what he needed too.

"I know." She paused and bit her lower lip before actually saying what she had planed to tell him hours before "So I'm cooking a special meal tonight as a tribute to my first day here, would you like to be part of the celebration?" His heart jumped at the question, he didn't want to make her feel rejected but he was afraid to give her the wrong impression.

"All right but I can't stay late, there are things I need to do first thing tomorrow" he accepted with a weak excuse in hopes to cover the fact that he was also flattered she was asking him to join her.

"Don't worry I assumed that much, you know, I have a busy schedule myself..." she said casually, making him feel stupid for reading to much into the invitation.

"Of course you do, Rach. And just to be clear, you asked me to come for dinner, I am not stalking" he felt he had to joke and be absolutely clear they were not having any kind of date

"Do you think I cook for my stalkers?" Both laughed at that. "I'll see you in two hours, don't be late, ok?" she was once again softening a joke that could have been easily misread. Paranoia was coming in handy once again.

"Later, Rach, and thanks." He simply replied while he was starting to feel a little bit hesitant about the whole thing.

"You are very welcomed, Will. Bye." And with that she ended the conversation.

Now she had to start cooking for two which was exiting. She was used to just cooking for herself because her dads were continually traveling, having a guest in her new place, her first guest nonetheless was thrilling. As she proficiently chopped some tomatoes she felt a smile starting to form in her lips. That noise she had heard sounded a suspicious lot like a shower. Even if she was never going to confirm that suspicion, the idea that it might have been the case and that he had chosen such a time to call her was heating her skin. She tried to push that thought aside, reading to much into things had lead her to trouble countless times before and there was no way she could let her hopes up only to be disappointed afterwards. But hey, she had hopes... she had hopes! ABOUT HER! AND HER... HIM! Rachel felt the need to call Santana and tell her about what she was thinking, being the target of a good old Santana Lopez joke could be what would bring her to reality.

Will was in the shower replaying the whole conversation in his head. He realized it hadn't been that bad, she had joked about his stalker status but that was pretty much it, there were no innuendos, no awkwardness moment, and all said and done he had no reason to think Rachel wanted anything more than the company of the only person she knew in that city. He knew it was very likely that he was freaking out over something harmless. Still he was concerned, he had wanted to hear her voice while he was naked, and now he was wet and naked thinking about her again. Rachel Berry was turning his life upside down without even trying. He wasn't hating that feeling, though.

Rachel was pacing around her apartment. He was going to be there in an hour and she couldn't decide what to wear. It was stupid to be so nervous about it, she knew that much but that didn't help at all. She tried to calm herself down but reminding herself they had done the impossible already: wake up cuddling and pretend it had never happened, so nothing she could wear would be outrageous in comparison. She picked a simple outfit and tried it on. As soon as she stared at her reflex ion her anticipation awoke again in the pit of her stomach, remembering the cuddling had been a terrible call. She grabbed her phone and called Santana. If her Jewish God was testing her she had to strike back, the she devil of Lima was the perfect sidekick.

A.N.: Thanks to everyone who took the time to review my previous chapters, all your suggestions and advices were incredibly helpful at the time to edit this one. That is why I love feedback do much. Hopefully you liked this chapter. Pezberry friendship in the next one, plus, the dinner...


	4. Chapter 4

"**Bricks": **

**CHAPTER IV:**

"I can assure you there is absolutely not a single sexual thought regarding me in his mind." Rachel was trying to bring Santana back to reality. She also needed her friend – funny how things turn out in life, right? - to stop screaming in Spanglish!

"How is it not sexual to call you when he was naked? Berry! Don't be naive. He totally wants to tap that. You are getting lucky tonight, B! Yay!" Santana sounded far too exited, which added to Rachel's long list of concerns regarding dinner. Every time Santana was thrilled about something the consequences of that something had been enormous.

"You are not listening to me! I said I THOUGHT he might have been about to take a shower and even given the case, he could have been fully clothed when he called." Rachel was serious at stating her point.

"So what? You know what he probably did while taking that shower, right? That filthy dog..." Rachel could hear the Latina laughing hard, enjoying making her blush half to death, and that was frustrating her. Making that call was a terrible idea.

"You are being no help at all. Let the record reflect that."

"Whatever, B. So what cha gonna do? If you are sexing up Mr. Schuester, I want the dirt! Every juicy detail, you hear me?" Rachel blushed even more, not only were images starting to appear in her head, but also, it all sounded so very cheap and dirty and ... she couldn't be so aroused and conflicted all at once.

"When I told you that you weren't helping me it was in hopes that you would actually try to do so! Not to plant those kind of seeds in my mind!" Rachel said almost barking at her friend.

"As if! Listen Berry, you two have wanted to do the spread eagle since for freaking ever, now you have a chance. What were you expecting me to say?" Rachel laughed at that, she was still infuriated Santana wasn't helping on the slightest but her friend was surely entertaining her with her colorful phrases. She had to give her credit for that. Secretly, of course.

"I cannot believe this is how I learn you can quote Chicago! And for your information, I have never, EVER, thought about him in that fashion" Rachel tried to set the record straight not expecting what she was about to hear.

"Right ... me neither." Santana smirked, she knew that comment would cause a huge reaction.

"What? You- you have wanted to sleep with him!" Santana was laughing uncontrollably at the jealousy and shock that Rachel's now pitchy tone conveyed.

"Hell yeah, when I was into guys anyways. But I never caught him staring at me and licking his lips like he did with you. The things he's going to do to you now he can ... you lucky bitch!" Rachel partially froze.

"You saw that too? I thought it was my imagina-"

"Ha! Busted! Now cut the crap. You wore those skirts for him, Berry. Admit it! Now you are out of school and he has the hots for you. Wear the skimpiest thing you have in your wardrobe tonight. Or wait, better yet, wear nothing!" Rachel was all shades of red. She checked her outfit and it was something she would wear at school. Now she was having second thoughts about her choice.

"San! I did not wear my skirts for him or anyone else for that matter. Now if you are going to keep mocking me while trying to convince me to seduce Will, I think it would be best to hang up right this second." Rachel couldn't handle the amount of information she was hearing. Nor she could face the fact that if Santana was right things, could be very complicated. She wasn't ready for so much.

"Fine, text me the details of your PG 13 night tomorrow but if you end up letting him have Berry for dessert, I want a call. Are we clear?" Santana gave up, she sensed the panic coming from Rachel.

"I'll text you tomorrow, San. Have a good night" Rachel replied with her cheeks still on fire.

"You too, B. Say hi to your Will for me." And with that the Latina ended the most interesting conversation she had had with Rachel in a long time.

Meanwhile, a flustered Rachel was ordering non-dairy ice cream, a cold dessert had to help, right? Foolproof plan.

Will was against showing up at her apartment empty-handed. He was a gentleman and his fears about his chaotic feelings towards Rachel should not taint that in any way. He wanted her to be able to trust him like she had for the past couple of years, to look up to him and more than anything he wanted them to remain close. Now that they were in a different setting where they didn't know anyone else, they could both use the company. All he had to do was relax a little. She hadn't made any clear advances on him. She had flirted a little but he had always believed that was her nature so maybe she wasn't doing it on purpose. If someone was creating awkwardness, it was him and only him. He could stop himself, he was fully capable. His life story was clear proof he was excellent at stopping himself. Even when he shouldn't.

He took a deep breath and concentrated on his task: bringing something to dinner other than himself. That presented a huge challenge. He couldn't bring wine or other alcoholic beverages with him. That could potentially give her the wrong idea, not to mention mixing up his existing, confusing emotions, their recent flirting and alcohol would cause sizable damage to their relationship. Will thought about getting dessert, which sounded logical and fair since she was cooking for the both of them, but he couldn't help but think even the idea of sharing dessert sounded sexy. He needed to find some sort of " friendly dessert" to bring, that was clear. What wasn't, was who he was trying to turn off with fruit salad.

Rachel had no less than fifteen mini freak outs before the bell rang. Three of them were regarding her skirt, it was too short and she could swear it had shrunk, not to mention Santana's remark had pretty much terrified her. She changed into jeans but, ironically, she wasn't sure if an item of clothing that made her behind look so good was a step in the right direction either. She tried a long baggy shirt in an effort to kill that conundrum effectively but then she realized whenever she would lean forward she would be flashing her bra, so there went freakouts number 4 and 5. Rachel picked a baby blue sweater with a white bow in it. She had always liked how the princess-cut fit her.

Then she started to doubt her hair style, wearing a headband was too high school-ish and she was determined not to help him remember that it wasn't that long ago she was his student. Not because she wanted to seduce him, but because she desperately wanted him to treat her as his equal, not as the freshly graduated girl who still had a lot to learn. She took care of freakout number 6 by having her hair up in a bun and leaving a few free strands of hair framing her face. "There, mature, classy and professional" she said to herself while staring at her reflexion in the mirror.

The rest of her freakouts were mostly related to how they would actually have dinner. Her apartment was fully furnished but her table was tiny and her two chairs were too close to one another. It was very likely their legs would brush at some point, then she recalled the whole "cuddling in the plane" episode and breathed a sigh, there was no reason to act like such a teenager about legs, knees or feet touching.

He was there. He didn't have the faintest idea of what to expect, so he weighed in the pros: he had nowhere else to be and it had been a long time since anyone had cooked for him. That thought hit him hard. In a way, Rachel was all he had but he didn't really HAVE her, and what would that entail, really? Coffee once a week and random "have a nice day" texts? Dinner and a movie whenever neither of them were too busy? Countless expeditions to on and off Broadway shows? Laughter and singing? A "will they-won't they" hanging in the air every time their eyes connect? Or a friendship between two people who were taking another chance at life and dreams? He was holding the bag with the fruit salad a bit too forcefully still waiting for God knows what before ringing the bell. They could have whatever they wanted. They could have whatever felt right whenever it did. If they were to keep in touch it was, after all, because they wanted to be part of the other's life. So in a way, what they were wasn't that important, or was it? He rang the bell as the question mark was painted red in his head.

Rachel jumped at the sound of the bell. She had never heard it before and decided she should fix it. It didn't sound melodic at all and she wasn't going to have that, not in this still strange apartment that she would call home when she got used to it. She walked down the stairs and opened the door, her cheeks were pink because of the fast pace she had walked down those stairs.

"7 o'clock on the dot, you get a golden star for punctuality. Good evening." She said motioning for him to come inside. He smiled at her trying to come with a response that sounded natural and was effective at hiding his nerves.

"I don't live that far, actually. My apartment is only ten blocks away." He entered her building taking in their surroundings while he felt proud about his reply. He wasn't telling her they were close, he was giving her a valid explanation as to why he had been so punctual. It wasn't because he wanted to see her ... no. "This is a nice building." He added as they started to walk the stairs up.

"Thanks, the landlord is friends with my dads. Are you hungry? I made vegetarian lasagna. From scratch." She opened the door of her apartment. "This is my home sweet home, welcome, Will." She said with the widest of smiles he had seen that day as they got inside.

"Rach this is beautiful, I'm jealous now. And yes, I'm hungry, lasagna sounds great." He paused. "I brought dessert, vegan dessert." They shared a good laugh at that as she peaked on the bag.

"You didn't have to, but since you did, we can have it along with vegan ice cream, which also qualifies as dessert. The fattening kind." They shared another laugh, roughly two minutes in and they already had an inside joke.

They walked into her living room area, it wasn't big but it looked homey. Rachel had done more than a decent job rearranging the furniture and adding a few personal items. It was difficult to believe she had just moved in. "Do you want me to take your coat?" She offered as he looked at the view her window offered.

"Yes, thanks, Rach." He took his jacket off and handled it to her with a grateful smile she quickly matched.

"I'll be right back." She said before going to her bedroom and placing the jacket on her bed. Her hands were shaking beneath the warm leather and she could smell his cologne. "Great Rachel, he hasn't been here for ten minutes and you are already asking him him to take his clothes off." She thought as she smiled knowing Santana would be 120% proud of her.

Will kept looking at the view, now he understood why she had trouble sleeping. She lived in the second floor; she was too close to the street, unlike him, whose apartment was on the ninth floor. The evening had started without a shred of awkwardness, he was glad. It seemed like all his concerns were in vain. This could be the beginning of a very meaningful friendship. "One for the books", he thought smiling to himself.

"Why are you smiling so much?" She interrupted. "Is the crazy lady trying to teach Spanish to that pigeon again?" She laughed, making him turn and face her. She was laughing with all her body, which amazed him.

"Come again?" He managed to say even though he was distracted looking at the bow in her sweater feeling the sudden urge to pull the white ribbon, as if she was his gift on Christmas morning.

"There is a crazy, old lady that tries to teach her pet pigeon Spanish; she reminded me of you a little." She said turning her back on him and slowly heading to the kitchen "Oh, and by the way, 'that's what she said'" She smiled gingerly, then felt like a complete idiot. "An insane woman and a bird remind you of him, Rachel? Come on! What was that! It's because his hair looks like a five star nest for little birdies? Trying to pull a "what she said" on top of it? Are you nuts!" A voice that sounded like Ms. Sylvester's reprimanded her.

Will's jaw had, not surprisingly, dropped. Part of him was actually amused at the comment, it was nice to think she felt comfortable enough around him to say that but at the same time his mind was filling with all kinds of ideas, not the good kind.

"Thanks for telling me I'm old so subtly, Rach. In fact, I am so old I didn't hear what you said afterward." He followed her to the kitchen, her face was bright red.

"I'm sorry, that wasn't what I meant. She reminded me of you because she knows Spanish, besides, I don't consider you old," crap, she was saying too much and she knew it. "And that other remark... I blame Santana," she nodded, "I talked to her earlier and she ... you know how crass she can be. She says hi by the way." Will smiled; everything that had come from her mouth was simply adorable. From stating he wasn't old to letting it slip she had mentioned to her closest friend he was going to see her. He wondered what else she had told the raunchy Latina about him.

"Tell her I say hi back when you get the chance." He paused as she opened the oven to check on the food and he got distracted staring at her ass, now his mouth was watery and he wasn't sure if it was the smell of lasagna or the young woman in front of him. "You know, I still find it unbelievable that you two became friends." She closed the oven.

"Five more minutes," she informed him. "I know what you mean but we are quite alike in a way. We have always known what we wanted and were aggressive towards our goals. We are also fans of telling the harsh truth to everyone, which makes us come off too strong" She shrugged.

"You are right." He conceded, she had a point indeed.

"I am aware, Will." Rachel said matter-of-factly. "You are my guest of honor, so sit." She pointed at the table but gave him no indication as to what chair he should choose. Truth be told she wanted to see if he would pick "her" chair or if they were so compatible he would pick the opposite. He did what he was told as she watched. Test passed.

They ate while telling each other about their respective days, which basically turned into a fierce competition about who was living in the best neighborhood.

"My building has an elevator." He said shifting in his chair. Rachel narrowed her eyes.

"They are unreliable. Stairs provide a healthier life style since they force people to exercise." She smiled, crossing her arms over the table.

"True. Well, I have a roof top." He matched her position by bringing his own char closer to the table and crossing his arms over it.

"I'm not surprised, stalkers love those." She giggled. "I'm closer than you are to the subway, try to top that now!" She raised the bet.

"I have a karaoke bar only two blocks away." He replied raising an eyebrow.

"Mazel tov! Yet that is a place you would only go on occasion, my coffee house kicks your bar's butt." She raised her own eyebrow. It was a childish game starting, one that was also bringing their bodies closer every time they fed the banter that had begun. The small table was the only thing separating them and the inevitable pull their were feeling in the midst of the heated argument.

"You have a crazy lady and an uneducated pigeon, Rach." For some reason, Will couldn't stop this conversation, nor could he take his eyes away from hers. It was all very trivial but there was so much drive in the both of them, so much eagerness to be right, to win something so meaningless.

"You are one to talk. You have a neighbor called Elmira that has a Chihuahua! One of the most annoying dogs there is! Pigeons can sing!" She retorted with all the passion in the world and enhanced her heartfelt sentence by banging her open hand on the table. She wasn't upset, she was just carried away, and also slightly frustrated that table was holding her body back. At that moment, without thinking before reacting, Will covered her hand with his. Eyes still locked with hers.

"Calm down, Rach. I think we are tied." He took his hand away as he felt his palm was about to get sweaty. Rachel looked down at her hand on the table for a second, then crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him again. He was smiling at her warmly.

"I guess that is ok for now." She said in a calmer tone. And neither of them were sure if she was referring to the argument ending in the agreement they were tied or if she was implying something else, something related to their hands no longer touching. Whatever it was they started talking about something else as Rachel decided to sometime prove him her neighborhood was indeed better than his. She made a mental note to figure out a way soon.

Time for dessert came. They had the fruit salad with ice cream on the side, the flavors complimenting one another. Rachel smiled at the memory of Santana's comment, William Schuester was actually having berry for dessert. Will wondered why she was so smiley but decided against asking; he liked the relaxed carefree Rachel he was starting to know. The city suited her. He hoped it suited him too.

After they were done with dessert Rachel felt a pang in her stomach; he was probably going to leave. She was having a lot of fun and really didn't want to be alone again. The prospect of all the noises keeping her awake was not a pleasant one, especially not considering his laughter was filling her apartment at the moment. She could really get used to this. The stories, the laughing, the sharing, the time going by fast ... she was starting to feel like a real adult, whatever that meant. She was a bit worried about what being an adult meant; she also questioned what an adult relationship with him could imply but there was one thing she was sure of: she wouldn't risk what they had now.

"What are you thinking, Rach?" He interrupted her thoughts.

"Nothing important, do you have to get going soon, Will? Perhaps we could watch a DVD..." she said looking down, expecting him to take a rain check. He shifted in his chair and as she had anticipated, their knees brushed for the briefest of seconds which was enough to make their eyes connect as electricity coursed through their veins at the subtle touch. He cleared his throat.

"What do you have in mind?" That was a shy "yes"; the evening had been so good so far that there was no reason to leave so soon.

"Rent! Definitely!" she smiled widely and they stood up at the same time.

Rent the movie led them to a mind blowing discussion about Rent the play, so they basically had no other option except watching the deluxe edition she had of the Broadway play. Suddenly, the way their arms were brushing wasn't a big deal for either of them. It was just something that happens when people are in such close proximity. The quick glances they exchanged didn't have to be charged with meaning, she wouldn't make wedding plans just because he was looking at her and he wouldn't run away like a scared cat if he felt her eyes lingered on his for a second too long. On that note, them singing along with the performers didn't bring them back to the time they sang "Endless Love". This was new, this was different and more importantly, this was natural and wanted. It was ridiculous for them to be so scared when there wasn't anything to be scared about. But he was Will, he was afraid of everything that presented a challenge, and she was Rachel, who was scared because she wasn't scared to be alone with him in the privacy of her own apartment. Neither wanted to scare the other, instead they wanted to enjoy whatever it was they were having now. Brick after brick, lyric after joke, laugh after touch, something was building up, that is what was important.

Halfway through the play Rachel rested her head on his shoulder. She knew she probably shouldn't have done that but felt like she could; she sensed he wasn't going to pull away. Not only did he not, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. They both felt a new confidence showing when it came to touching, even if as Santana Lopez would put it, it was all rated PG 13. The fact they didn't have to over think it and the knowledge the other wouldn't read too much into it, was priceless. This was completely different to what happened on the plane when they had cuddled and pretended it never happened, this was them knowing exactly what they were doing and not running away from it. They were learning to accept what felt right. Scary as it was.

Half an hour later, Rachel was asleep in his arms. Will contemplated her features in the night; she was truly gorgeous. He was sad their evening had come to an end but happy to see she was able to rest, that alone would help him sleep better. He picked her up and carried her bridal style to the bedroom. Still with her in his arms he took a good look at the room, even if he hadn't known it was hers, he would have been able to guess. The Playbills, the golden stars, the motivational phrases written on post-its of different colors on her mirror, it all screamed Rachel Berry. He laid her down on her bed and made sure to cover her properly. He kissed her on the forehead and whispered a "good night", then proceeded to take his jacket and head to the living room. He couldn't leave. The front door of the building was locked and he couldn't take her only set of keys so he took his shoes off and laid on the couch. He fell asleep thinking that dinner was the best worst idea ever.

Breakfast was going to be interesting.

A.N.: Thanks a million to BuffyAnne, who not only edited this chapter but did it really fast! My version benefited a lot thanks to you. So TANK YOU! Second of all, I have to give credit to my friend Lisa for her San-isms and last but not least, a big shout out to all of you who took the time to review the previous chapters, each and every single one of you make me happy about sharing this fic and not keeping it in my head or hard drive. Hopefully you'll like where this journey goes, so once again, I appreciate jumping into this Will/Rachel train.


	5. Chapter 5

"**Bricks": **

**CHAPTER V:**

Rachel woke up with a smile on her face, with memories of the night before lingering in her mind. She stirred and proceeded to sit up, already planning to recycle the vegan dessert he had brought and have it for breakfast. Then she saw herself on the mirror; her hair was still up in a bun, now a little disheveled and she was wearing the same outfit she had on last night. It took her half a second for her thoughts to organize cohesively and for Rachel to realize what had happened. It didn't take a genius, really. She had fallen asleep while they were still watching the play, so if she was correct that would put Will ... she walked towards the living room. Yes, that would put him barefoot, sleeping in her couch, covered only by his own jacket. She giggled at the sight of him and couldn't help wondering if she would see "barefoot Will" more often since this was the second time she had seen his taste in socks – they were all a shade of blue.

Careful not to wake him, she knelt in front of him fighting the burning desire to touch his face or comb his curls with her fingers. Even if Santana Lopez would still consider it PG 13, waking him up with tender caresses felt too intimate. If she was ever to do so, she wanted to be sure he would allow her to touch him in such manner. She wasn't going to shake him to wake him up; she hated it when other people would do that to her. So there she was, staring at her former teacher sleeping peacefully, feeling more like a teenager than she ever had, and confronting her own internal argument about how creepy that was. Right at that second, a memory of a night in the Lopez household came in handy. She smiled brightly, stood up and went straight to the bathroom.

Rachel brushed her teeth thoroughly, then washed her face to make herself further awake and proceeded to take her hair down. As subtle as everything she was doing was, the whole morning ritual was for him, which led to her feeling like she was getting ready for a date with the man sleeping on her couch. She shook her head at that but her smile remained intact. There was something sweetly infectious about Will Schuester, even when her guard was up he could get to her without knowing it. Daily actions had acquired a different meaning in this particular scenario. Brushing her hair wasn't just an every day thing, it was a low budget production, especially considering Rachel could have just called his name instead of actually PLANNING how to wake him up. There was so much thought and dedication in something so mundane that the brunette knew it had to meant something, because well, IT DID!

When she was done fixing her look, Rachel knelt once again in front of Will, took a deep breath and closed her eyes in order to gain some confidence before doing what she was about to do. She leaned her head closer and slowly blew on his face once. She opened her eyes quickly to check if he had awoken. She imagined if he had,Will would think she looked ridiculous with her eyes closed blowing at him. However, that wasn't the case, he was still sound asleep. She supported her upper body by placing her elbows on the couch, close to where his arms were; she leaned her head down closer and slowly started to blow air to his face. She stopped when she saw his eyes were starting to open.

The first time Rachel tried this technique on him, Will felt her minty breath caressing his face, tickling his nose, asking him to join her in this new day. He didn't open his eyes because every cell in his body was telling him not to. Granted, he was curious to see Rachel's face while trying to wake him up, considering her actions, which he cataloged as soft and undeniably tender. He imagined she would have the most adorable look on her face, a mix of mischief and affection, but he was wondering how much anticipation he would witness. Then there was the fact, he didn't want that moment to end. So he waited to see what else she would do, and once she repeated the process, he had no option except opening his eyes. On a second thought, encouraging Rachel to do more by "playing dead" wasn't a bright idea. Not when so many things were unspoken and feelings were so tentative and potentially dangerous. The notion of a possible good morning kiss between the two could be the equivalent to a kiss of dead. He didn't know if she wanted to kiss him. He was getting ahead of himself by thinking she might but, at the same time, Will knew he wanted to be kissed. That was exactly why he had to be careful. He opened his eyes and saw Rachel smiling widely at him, she was definitely a morning person. Also, her plan had worked wonderfully, and the sense of victory was making her glow. They were silent, locking sleepy and curious eyes for a few seconds until Rachel's giggling broke the spell.

"Good morning, stalker," she said grinning as he sat up blinking and she took her arms away form the couch.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," he replied without thinking, and for the first time, not contradicting her statement.

"I'm more of a Snow White, you know?" Rachel nodded, "Disney definitely needs a Jewish princess if you ask me." She said as she stood up and while he combed his hair with his hands.

"Maybe you can inspire them. If anyone can be ground breaking it's you, Rach." He complimented her, knowing that he was absolutely stepping into a slippery territory. "I mean, if your way of waking up people is this original, I can't wait to see you execute your take on a Jewish Disney princess." He punctuated his "joke" with a nervous chuckle.

"Thank you. I think I would make a perfect princess, regardless. I must confess, I wasn't being original. One time, Santana had a sleep over at her house and she woke me up by placing a fan straight to my face and turning it on on full speed. Needless to say I woke up terrified, thinking there was a tornado and that the world was ending before I had the chance to become a legend." She said a bit embarrassed at the memory, why, why WHY was she telling him this? "I guess that was my twist on San's idea. Besides, I didn't have Brittany to take pictures of you waking up. Mine were certainly colorful." She shrugged as he laughed uncontrollably. Rachel never meant to sound as hilariously as she did.

"Sounds like a violent awakening, Rach. Thanks for sparing me from thinking the world was ending." God, he sounded so cheesy! A grown man saying something so childish to a young adult ... Will was in deep trouble, as conflicting as his feelings were. Rachel Berry made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. Yes, those were the exact words in his head. Emotionally, he was about eight years old at that particular moment.

"No problem," she paused, "It's the least I could do considering I fell asleep while having you as my guest of honor. I sincerely apologize for that, it was impolite of me."

"It's fine, you were tired." Will simply said, he had clearly not taken any offense on her actions. In fact, Terri had fallen asleep countless times while they were in the midst of a conversation, or worse ... and Emma ... Emma would inform him two hours prior to falling asleep just to make sure he would leave. There was something about him drooling on her pillow that she couldn't stomach. Thinking about the woman he had been married to and the one he had been obsessed with, for reasons he would never understand, and comparing them to Rachel made him feel like a total moron.

"It was never my intention to get you stuck with me, though." She bit her lower lip, in part, she was blatantly lying, but she also hadn't planned to fall asleep the way she had. "You could have woken me up, in fact, you should have."

"And feel guilty for interrupting your dreams?" He joked as he stood up.

"That's very thoughtful. Still, let me make it up to you by cooking you a thank you breakfast, what do you feel like having?" Rachel said with utter gratitude and enthusiasm. Will had said out loud the most caring words she had ever heard; he didn't want to get in the middle of her dreams. This was unprecedented. Other people had mocked them before, but not him, never him. He had always supported and encouraged her to chase them. Even though, him sleeping on her couch because she had drifted off was quite literal, Rachel came to the conclusion he was the person who had cared about her and her ambitions the most. And now she was asking him to stay a little longer.

"Just coffee for me, Rach." He said combing his hair with his hands once again as she smiled at his actions.

"That is a boring choice, I refuse to accept it. I will make something else. You can go to the bathroom and get more presentable while I do so." Rachel replied with a tone that left no room for negotiation.

"I won't argue with you so early in the morning." Will lifted his arms in mock surrender just like when he had dropped her at her entrance two nights ago.

"That's a clever thought." She emphasized before he went to the bathroom and she entered the kitchen.

Will felt decadent in front of her mirror. He hadn't slept in a young woman's couch since college or after a fight with Terri, but that always felt like punishment. This felt very different. They weren't two teenagers but he wasn't Rachel's chaperone either. In fact, he was starting to think they were on equal ground. She was young and still had a lot to learn, but he was older and needed to put all his knowledge to the test. If that meant they would complement each other or not, he couldn't decide, but the fact of the matter was that probably they were both a little clueless. All the more reason for him to be careful with his feelings and to keep in mind he wasn't sure where Rachel stood when it came to him. Did she see him as her former teacher? As her friend? As a father figure? Did he want to find out today? Probably not.

This was without a doubt the most fascinating "morning after" he had had in his entire life. There was zero awkwardness between them when there could have been. That could only mean one thing, they were comfortable around one another. Still, the whole scenery was a bit of a mess, a beautiful one. The kind he knew he could regret later on. At this point, Will was positive he had feelings for Rachel, the problem was that would ruin their budding friendship, not to mention he didn't want to rush into anything. They were both new in town, they had goals and they were adjusting to their new life. Too much change would be overkill. Moreover, he wasn't ready for a romantic relationship. He had to work on his inner struggles first, heal the wounds he had left open and untreated while he was purposely distracted with Glee. He couldn't risk Rachel becoming his next obsession.

Will joined Rachel in the kitchen and without saying a word tarted to set the table. It was strange, they were still wearing the same clothes from the day before; it seemed like the previous night never ended. Breakfast felt like a prolongation of dinner. If the chain of events was to indicate anything, this first week in the city was going to be thrilling for the both of them. As they sat down and Rachel handed Will a cup of coffee, she was fighting an important question she had meant to ask him since they accidentally met at the airport. She was biting her lip trying to physically prevent the words from coming out of her mouth. Will was curious about what she was thinking; he was always good at knowing when she was in the process of scheming.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked casually before tasting his coffee.

"You have terrible timing," she retorted, "I was about to tell you what I was thinking, free of charge." Rachel joked, pouring orange juice in their glasses.

"Go ahead, Rach."

"Why did you decide not to say goodbye?" That question was burning through his heart and she sensed that from the way he was uncomfortably shifting on his chair. "We would have thrown a party ..." Rachel softened her query and smiled while doing so. Will laughed nervously at the out she had given him.

"I hate farewells, Rach. Besides, you said goodbye to me on graduation day." He stated that with a hint of sadness in his voice. He did in fact hate goodbyes. What he was also implying on some level was that she had been able to part ... that was a complex and interesting notion. There was a reason that had caused him not to tell her he was going to be living in the same city but at the time, it didn't feel like a plan. He wasn't trying to avoid her, and yet he had in a way. Or maybe he never said goodbye because he knew he would have been lying.

"True, but ... we were like family." Rachel was starting to realize he might have tried to hide the fact he was going to New York from her; after all, it was no secret she was heading there right after high school finished. Simultaneously, "family" had been a terrible term to use. Rachel didn't think it accurately described Glee club, at least not now. For his part, Will felt sick at the mention of the word; did that mean she thought of him as her musical father?

"It wasn't a conscious choice, Rach, I ... I felt done after you graduated." Will cleared his throat. Did that "you" mean the Glee members or Rachel? He wasn't sure. "and if I learned anything from you it was to broaden my horizons, so I did. It was long overdue."

It was the first time Will was admitting that out loud. Rachel could feel some of the regrets he had. Then she realized how selfish it had been to be happy he hadn't pursued his Broadway dreams. The truth was, at the time, she was so glad to have him as her mentor that it had eclipsed the side of her that should have encouraged him to do more with his life and career.

"Glee club wouldn't have existed as such without you. I hope you know that. We were just a bunch of losers before you decided to form New Directions." She smiled trying to shrink her guilt and also in an effort to cheer Will up. Inside she knew she could never thank him enough for giving the group of twelve all he did.

"And I hope you know if it wasn't for New Directions I would probably be an accountant." He said with a sigh.

"That would have been no fun, Will. Numbers are boring. Plus, if you had been an accountant you would have missed on many stellar performances of yours truly." Rachel smiled at him once again, she felt he needed the tone of their conversation to be lightened. She probably needed that herself.

"We all benefited from Glee, Rach." He said laughing.

They went down Glee memory lane throughout breakfast. They remembered the "old times" in McKiney. The good, the bad and the ugly. From the eternal war against the club and Sue Sylvester, to the eternally tied hands of Principal Figgins. The cute and the ridiculous romances, the dramatic break ups and the unfortunate bullying ... they even performed a high five when they recalled beating Vocal Adrenaline. All in all they had fond memories of those years. But Glee was over and so was breakfast, a new inevitable farewell was in order.

Rachel and Will walked the stairs down very slowly. Their bodies telling them they should spend more time together, they felt they needed more. Even though they had shared many hours together, it wasn't enough. They stood in silence facing the entrance door Will would cross in a matter of seconds, this was it. Once he left they would be alone again in their new city. The thought that was once thrilling was starting to become a unwanted.

"Thanks for dinner and breakfast, Rach." Will said almost ready to leave but not quite.

"Thanks for vegan dessert and memories, Will." She replied smiling. "Oh, and before you go..." She shook her head, stooping herself from finishing the sentence.

"What?" He needed to know why Rachel Berry was censoring herself.

"Never mind, I was going to say something stupid." She said staring at her feet.

"Please?" He said sweetly. He hated her second guessing herself.

"Well if you must know, I was going to say that we are both here for a reason now. The universe didn't want you to miss the vocal powerhouse that I am making it on Broadway." Rachel said smugly but feeling her cheeks starting to blush as he laughed.

"The universe is wise, Rach. I'm glad I'm here." Will said the second part of the statement in a lower voice, almost a whisper.

"Me too." She nodded. "And I'm going to hug you now." Rachel informed Will barely giving him time to register her words before throwing her arms around him. He hugged her back while both were chuckling. The moment felt corny but essential at the same time. Before they could start to dissect that paradox to death, just like all good things, that embrace had to come to an end. They let go of the other.

"Bye, Rach." He said putting his hands inside his pockets.

"Have a nice day and try not to stalk, all right?" She smiled, their inside joke was actually perfect in awkward situations.

"I'll do my best." He smiled back. "Talk to you soon." His words were bypassing his mind through his mouth.

"You promise?" She asked as her cognitive content was behaving as whimsically as his.

"I promise." Will nodded while walking away. Rachel spied him as he walked down the street and felt her heart melting when he stopped in front of the crazy lady and the pigeon to say "Buenos Días" (Good Morning) to them.

Rachel rushed back to her apartment. Despite the fact she had never smoked in her life she felt like she needed a cigarette. Everything that had gone down from last night on was surreal. She found herself walking back and forth at a frantic pace in her living room, questions and feelings were assaulting her mind and her body was starting to miss their brief embrace. Rachel Berry was suffering from some kind of withdrawal of her drug of choice: one Will Schuester. Knowing this was a bad idea she picked her cell phone and sat on her bed.

"You whore!" Santana jumped up and down all the while dirty jokes aligned in her head.

"Good morning, San, how are you doing today?" Rachel said in an effort to make her friend's thoughts take an U-turn.

"Wait a second, you don't sound thoroughly fucked. What the actual hell? Is he lazy, Berry?" Santana's head was going ten miles a minute. She needed to know everything.

"Nothing happened and don't put images in my head. I called you becau-"

"B, I told you to text if it was PG 13, you called, That's cheating and wasting my time, you know better." The Latina interrupted.

"Sorry to have mislead you by calling; nonetheless, I do need to talk to you." Rachel said, practically pleading.

"Kay, B, spill" Santana gave in.

"Well, let me start by saying it was a colorful night but now I'm so confused."

"What the hell do you mean by colorful? Did he like have pink boxers?" This was how it always had been with the two friends, trying to finish a sentence was a challenge for Rachel.

"Santana Lopez would you please listen to me! I did not see his boxers but..."

"Oh my God! You saw his butt!" The Latina couldn't be more exited and wrong.

"San!" Rachel laughed. "But, one T, not butt as in his behind, which is quite lovely by the way." They both laughed at that. "Still, I didn't SEE it the way you are thinking."

"Fine, then what DID you see?" Santana was determined to make Rachel blush to death this time.

"Nothing!" Rachel was starting to get annoyed.

"You just admitted you checked out his ass, that coming from you is a lot. It doesn't make my day like the spread eagle would have but..." It was Rachel's turn to interrupt this time.

"Ugh! It is such a challenge to talk to you sometimes ... I must really insist you start listening to me, Santana!"

"Sorry, but what?"

"But he did spend the night with me," Rachel sighed.

"Now I'm confused." Santana was startled. Since she could never picture a man and a woman spending a night together and that being PG 13, something didn't add up.

" Well, brace yourself, BFF..." Rachel told her friend everything that had transpired. She was glad she could count on Santana. Sure, she would keep hearing dirty jokes; she would blush and laugh, but above it all, Rachel would get an honest opinion from Santana about her particularly messy situation with their ex-teacher. Santana did even more than just listen and speak her mind, she found a cute pet name for her and Will: "Sherry", which had Rachel laughing in stitches even hours after they had stopped talking.

Meanwhile, in the comfort of his apartment, Will was reading a book, trying not to think about anything else. Suddenly, a verse of the poem he was reading stabbed him. "I have promises to keep and miles to walk before I sleep," he said out loud smiling thinking about what he had promised Rachel, the vow he had made to himself and the road ahead.

Little did he know that two hours later when he would try to honor his word to talk to Rachel soon, he wouldn't be able to find his cell phone.

A.N.: Once again thanks to everyone for the feedback! I am having a lot of fun writing this story, knowing you like it is a huge bonus!


	6. Chapter 6

"**Bricks": **

**CHAPTER VI:**

Morning #3 in New York. It was a cloudy Sunday, and Rachel was singing at the top of her lungs while painting her nails in a light shade of pink. Everything felt like a milestone for her at this point. Her first rough night forgotten, her first coffee to go, her first dinner, her first guest... this was her first cloudy day and pink was making it brighter. She had Sunday already planned; her next destination was Central Park. Rachel was in complete awe with the idea of being surrounded by green, people laughing, squirrels and birds. Her senses would register every single stimulus and she would put them into song later. She finished with her nails and opened her laptop to check which was the best way to get there. Rachel weighed her options. She could take the fastest way or the prettiest one. The latter choice would take her a much longer time to get to the famous park since she was absolutely positive she would make many stops in order to take it all in. This adventure would be beyond perfect. Once Rachel opted for the longest way, she decided to look at the pictures she had taken on her first day out. As magnificent as she found every single pixel to be, she realized she wasn't in any of the pictures. Granted, all the elements immortalized in the images had a meaning to them, one she had given them. But they were just pieces of something. She desperately wanted to get her picture taken, to put herself in context too. She wanted metaphors to show she belonged there, in that city she had longed to live in for so many years.

Will was still looking for his cell phone. It was ridiculous to do so; he knew he had it when he was at Rachel's apartment, and he had already checked in the pockets of his pants and jacket. There were only two possible scenarios: A. he had dropped his phone on his way back home or B. it was sitting somewhere at Rachel's. He hoped it was option B. This wasn't the time to lose his cell phone. Option B was the practical one. He could have his phone back and problem solved, only there was a detail, he had to see Rachel once again. Trepidation started to invade him as he was considering his strategy. It was silly to even think about what to do; he needed to retrieve his phone. So it was easy, all he had to do was get to her apartment and ask her if she had found it. That was it. Yet he knew that particular course of action wasn't realistic. Visiting Rachel, even if it was because circumstances had pushed him to do so, would mean talking to Rachel, seeing Rachel, laughing with Rachel, wanting to know what Rachel was up to, fighting the impulse of touching Rachel... Rachel, Rachel, Rachel... that was all he could think about. The brunette was a permanent feature residing in his mind. This was terrorizing him on so many levels he had stopped counting.

He had promised himself he wouldn't obsesses over her. He wanted a clean start in the Big Apple, and he feared that having someone from his past there with him could make him lose sight of his new-found ambitions and dreams. The irony was that Rachel had became part of the picture. She was in his dreams, and daydreams. She was there, vibrant, smiley, driven, funny and filled with life. She was there captivating Will with all she was. It wasn't about her looks or her mind-blowing talent; it was about who she was: who she was becoming to him, and what she was becoming to him. Will wasn't naïve, the idea of being friends with her was completely flawed. He couldn't lie to himself, so his mind was partially made up. The petite brunette was now high up on his list of things to conquer, but in order to do so and have a decent chance with her, he had to become the men he owed himself to be first. He sighed at this breakthrough he had made. In a way, she was challenging him without knowing it; she was an incentive for him to try harder, to do more and better. Contrary to what he had originally thought, she fit perfectly into the leap of faith this new chapter in his life conveyed.

Rachel was about to go out the door when she felt she was missing something. She stood still in her place and started to mentally check the list of the things she she needed in order to have a pleasant adventure in Central Park. To her surprise, every item was in her bag, but she still felt something was completely off and that was driving her crazy. She closed her eyes and tried to visualize herself in Central Park, trying to look for the mysterious missing element. As she breathed in and out, the most beautiful colors and sounds popped in her head. The fantasy was becoming complete as she could see herself sitting on a bench admiring the sight. Her jaw dropped when she made it to her forced epiphany. Will Schuester was the male lead in this scene at that bench. She could see them sitting there in silence, holding hands, staring at the same things, probably thinking about what the future had for them... she opened her eyes reluctantly. The images were breathtaking, but she had to be realistic and she had to be somewhere else. Standing in front of her door holding her breath for her ex-teacher felt bittersweet.

As Santana had reminded her the day before, classes were starting in only two weeks; so, chances were they wouldn't be able to see one another as often. Rachel also realized he hadn't made contact with her since he had left her building after breakfast. As the sense of pride was telling her not to reach out to him, something more powerful that came from within was urging her to call Will. He was what was missing. Sighing, Rachel thought it couldn't really hurt to talk to him, after all, she wanted to. And there was yet another plus she could think of, he could take her picture. She took her phone from her pocket and called, only to be surprised by her own live cover of "Don't rain on my parade" coming from the couch. Rachel pressed her hand to her forehead in defeat but also feeling a smile forming in her lips. "Oh, Will..." she said as she walked towards the fugitive phone hiding behind the pink cushions.

Will was drying himself after taking a much needed cold shower. He was going to go to get dressed and head to Rachel's apartment to get his phone back. It was a simple action, not an impossible task but he was starting to hyperventilate. Now he was questioning if Finn wasn't brighter than he appeared to be amd Rachel had made him drop quite a few IQ points. He was feeling stupid himself, so he believed it could be a real possibility that his student had been affected by Rachel Berry too... shaking his head he laughed alone as he opened a new cologne bottle. And even that little detail showed the impact she had caused in him. As he was getting dressed he hummed David Grey's classic "The one I love" without even trying and not wanting to stop either.

Rachel was sitting on her couch staring at his phone on her lap. Her plans had suddenly changed since she figured Will would need his phone back. That also meant he would be going to retrieve the device at some point, probably that day. She put the cell in her pocket and stood up to make some tea. Now she had to wait for him to show up. This was quite perfect, stars had aligned, Rachel thought smiling, but then another thought crossed her mind, not a good one. She was furiously biting her lip. It was wrong; it was a completely unacceptable idea, outrageous even: going through his phone, his pictures, his songs, seeing what other numbers he had stored... it was so very wrong... and she was so going to do it anyway. This was instant access to the man that had gotten under her skin, and she was 100% curious as to what she could find in the little device. Santana's voice sounded in her ears "Go for it Berry!" so she did.

As he was walking to his door, Will was feeling like a schoolgirl. He was going to see Rachel and make the most of it. In fact, he would ask her to join him in his quest for the perfect book store, if he had the courage to say the words. Will thought she might like that particular plan; for other people it might have sounded boring, but she wasn't other people and he knew they shared the same passion towards music, theater, movies... the list was so long. He opened the door and was surprised to see a woman in front of him. She seemed to be around his age, probably a couple of years younger. She was tall, had dark eyes and looked VERY Italian. Will cleared his throat.

"Hello," he said waiting for her to introduce herself.

"Hi, I'm Lisa, Lisa Montgomery." The woman smiled at him as Will's eyes widened. His nosy neighbor was behind this.

Rachel was humming her song contently as she walked. Almost everything she had seen stored in Will's phone had made the butterflies in her stomach multiply and dance happily. Better yet, she had read his emails – not that she was proud of that – and therefore, had found his address. Unable to be patient and wait for him to come to her, she thought surprising Will and giving him his phone back sounded good. In fact, she congratulated herself for being so kind and thoughtful. Now he owed her, Rachel considered as she made a quick entrance into his building and walked inside the actually not so unreliable looking elevator. When she was about to push the button to the ninth floor Mrs. Montgomery suddenly joined her in the elevator. Rachel had no idea where the woman had came from and was shocked to see that Will's description of Oscar the Third was accurate. Mrs. Montgomery pushed the button without saying a word.

Will and Lisa were still talking in the hallway when Rachel, Mrs Montgomery and the little dog got out of the elevator. Mrs. Montgomery smiled at what she was seeing: her daughter smiling from ear to ear as she leaned dangerously close to Will. For her part, Rachel felt she was witnessing a murder taking place. Her butterflies dropped dead as her mouth opened in shock. She cleared her throat in an attempt to purposely interrupt whatever was going on between Will and the unknown women she already hated. Mrs. Montgomery frowned at Rachel at the same time Lisa smiled at her mother and Will started to sweat.

"Rach," he paused. "Mrs. Montgomery, hello," he said feeling like a poor deer caught in the headlights. Will could see Rachel was upset and wanted to explain to her the situation. He didn't have to. After all, his ex-student had no claim on him, but he hated the way she was staring at him. The disappointment in her eyes. For a second, he remembered the brief time he was believed to be a man-whore and shook his head. What Rachel thought of him mattered to Will. In addition, he was wondering how she knew where he lived.

"Hello, Dear," Mrs Montgomery grinned at him. "I see you've met my Lisa. She's single too." The woman said causing Rachel to roll her eyes.

"He already knows, Mom," Lisa said like if there was something to be proud of in the fact she had shamelessly thrown herself at Will. Rachel felt her blood boiling. She wanted the earth to swallow her right at that very second. Of course she also felt like slapping someone but wasn't too sure who.

"This is Rachel," Will stated motioning for her to get closer. Rachel did so faking a smile. "Rach, this is Lisa, whom I have just met, barely two minutes ago when she knocked my door. And you've heard about Mrs. Montgomery already." He said sensing she needed clarification but also feeling like he had sounded like a scared teenager, which was exactly the case. Rachel smiled at him; it was an honest smile this time. His worried tone was adorable to her and she LOVED the fact he had said "this is Rachel" without putting any labels, as if the woman should already know who she was.

"Good evening, ladies. It's a pleasure to meet you," Rachel said, lying through her teeth and standing next to Will, fighting the urge to grab his hand. The two woman exchanged a look.

"You left your phone at my place, sleepy head." Rachel said smiling wide, she was out for blood. Will felt like giggling, she had just called him "sleepy head" and he wasn't sure how to react but he knew how the whole scene probably looked like to his neighbor and her daughter. Rachel had said the truth about him leaving the cellphone behind, but she had also made that sound ambiguous as hell.

"I realized that when I tried to text you last night, Rach." He turned slightly towards her. "Was it in the couch?" Will asked locking eyes with her.

The woman kept staring at them. Will and Rachel were close to and another and their body language was giving them away completely. At the same time, everything they were saying could lead others to believe a lot had happened in order for him to lose his phone. In spite of the curious looks that were almost burning them on the spot, Will and Rachel seemed to be in their own bubble, almost oblivious of the way they were being scrutinized.

"Where else would it have been?" Rachel said raising an eyebrow. She liked the turn this was taking; she could feel Lisa Montgomery and her mother cringing.

"In your bed," he stated thinking that was actually plausible since the phone was in his jacket, the jacket she had placed on her bed. Rachel was laughing inside. They were putting on an act, definitely, but it was a thrilling one. At that moment she realized Will probably wanted to get rid of the women.

"That makes sense." She smiled as she kept staring into his eyes, unsure if she felt like fainting due to the intense he was looking at her or as a result of the excitement this charade was causing her to experience. Meanwhile, the Montgomerys had both crossed her arms waiting for their presence to be acknowledged some time soon.

"Yes." He laughed. "I'm sorry you had to come all the way here, Rach."

"It's no problem; I'm glad I did, but now you owe me." Rachel said suggestively as she heard how Lisa Montgomery impatiently tapped the hell of her shoe on the floor.

"Would thank you cookies do?" Will said employing what had soon became "their thing" along with so many other inside jokes.

"What do you think?" Rachel giggled. "By the way, let the record show you are stealing my idea, you thief." She teased.

"Noted. Should we get going?" Will said assuming now they would spend the day together and hoping this was also an exit to the awkward situation he was in.

"Absolutely!" Rachel beamed at him and turned to the women. "Have a lovely day." And with that, she started walking towards the elevator that was still there. Game over, Lisa.

"Bye." Said the perplexed Montgomerys in unison. Will silently waved at them and then proceeded to place his hand on her lower back, guiding her. They shared a smile at that even though they weren't sure if that was Will acting on impulse of making their silly act more believable.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Will and Rachel started to laugh uncontrollably.

"That was so fun!" Rachel said catching her breath as she pressed her back against the mirror on the elevator for support. Her knees were weak from laughing so much. Will pushed the button and then leaned on his side against the mirror, staring at Rachel, who was feeling lost as his new cologne intoxicated her.

"Rachel Berry, you are terrible." He shook his head. They were very close, their arms were touching slightly and he was half caging her frame with his own body. That was a perfect moment to kiss her, and all it would have taken was for him to lean down a little. But he couldn't. She was laughing with her whole body, her chest rising and falling, her eyes shining at him. He could watch her laugh like this for hours.

"You are welcome." Rachel nodded. Then the elevator stopped and she exited it quickly while Will followed her still trying to catch his breath.

"You are welcome?" Will laughed.

"Oh, please! You needed to be saved from that desperate woman who was making a cheap, lame attempt to seduce you." Rachel retorted knowing that was actually the truth. There was more to it, however.

"And you enjoyed every second."

"I did but so did you, you played along, Will." She poked him in the shoulder accusingly. "Regardless, you ought to be careful. Perhaps next time she tries, I won't be there. And in all honesty, I can't blame her if she does..." Rachel couldn't complete her sentence. Instead changed her tune. "She is the appropriate age..." She smiled, testing him, the problem was that last statement was confusing him.

"I think she got the memo, Rach. I'm not looking." He reassured her without realizing he wasn't being as clear as she would have hoped.

"Oh," was all she could say as they kept walking. "Will, where are we going?" Rachel stopped and turned her head in his direction. Will cleared his throat for the billionth time that day.

"I don't know." He was honest. He had no clue what Rachel was referring to exactly, yet the answer to both possible meanings was the same.

"This is your neighborhood." She blinked just realizing how she might have sounded to him before.

"I have an idea." He took her hand in his and rushed her to walk with him. Rachel kept blinking all the way to the mysterious location he was taking her to.

That is how Rachel Berry ended up in an eclectic bar with her former teacher. This was the karaoke place he had mentioned during dinner, and it was actually an interesting place. She gave him bonus points for taking her there. William Schuester could think on his feet, she thought while trying to push aside the always present question as to if this was at all a date. Even if it wasn't, Rachel was amazed; them having fun together was actually simple even though their situation was still quite complex.

Conversation flowed as easily and naturally as it always did between them, that was how coffee and vegan chocolate brownies were followed by an impromptu dinner. They didn't want their maybe date to end and weren't really hiding it even given the fact they had behaved the same way they had at her apartment. Yes, they had flirted a little; she had stared at his lips for a minute too long and he had fought not to picture her naked, but they didn't feel threatened by what was going on. All in all, they weren't completely acting on their feelings.

Will and Rachel felt so comfortable around one another, they even made two bets, the first regarding how soon Rachel would get her first call back once she started attending castings and the second concerning how many students would have a crush on Will. While they shook hands at wager #2, the waitress interrupted them and handled them a sheet of paper, it was karaoke time!

While deciding he was the first one to perform, Will and Rachel carefully inspected the choices of songs available and laughed. They were staring at the corniest list of pop songs ever made. Each one decided what to sing in secret. Another friendly competition was about to take place... sort of.

Will stood up and whispered the name of the song he had chosen to the waitress, then got on stage and winked at Rachel, whose head was screaming to her the obvious, "HE WINKED!". While she was in the midst of processing what that could mean, the former Glee coach took her by surprise once again. It seemed like he wasn't going to give her a break tonight... in more ways than one...

Will was singing James Blunt's "You are beautiful" staring straight into her eyes. The repetitive chorus getting to her as he partially answered the many questions in her eyes. Rachel was at a loss of words. She wanted to kiss that man. Period. She wanted to stand up, run to him and just kiss him rom-com style. He was calling her beautiful in song in front of other people; he was making her world stop and her head spin. Butterflies and all kinds of cute creatures were fluttering in her belly as she tried to even her breath, thinking that song was also stating they wouldn't be together. Still unable to decide what to think or do, Rachel stood up and clapped when he finished. They shared a smile as they crossed paths when he was heading towards their table and she was on her way to the stage. Will mumbled a "knock them dead" Rachel couldn't hear, because she was lost in thought deciding that kissing him wasn't right, not when she was so confused as to what he had meant with that song or even IF he had tried to make a point at all. On the upside, the song she had chosen from the limited list could give him an idea of where she was standing. She hoped.

Rachel's rendition of Christina Aguilera's "I turn to you" was simply sublime. Not only was her voice perfect for the song, she had meant every single word and Will could see that. She was a talented performer but he had always been able to sense when she was pretending and this wasn't the case. A standing audience clapped and cheered once Rachel finished singing; Will was so proud of her and looked at her so adoringly that she feared once she made it to their table they would start a fire. She walked to Will, waiting for him to do something. Rachel sensed he wanted to and she had decided since she was the one to stop beating around the bush, it was his turn to take initiative.

"That was..." he was going to finish that sentence. He was going to finish saying she had swept him off his feet and then kiss her. He couldn't think about anything else, the problem was the waitress wasn't a mind reader...

"You guys were great! Here, on the house." The young girl placed two glasses of red wine on the table and left. The moment was ruined.

Rachel sat, rolling her eyes while Will sighed. She had been defeated by an intrusive waitress and was very disappointed. Now they were uncomfortable but at the same time, they felt the sense of inevitability settling in. She was trying to read him and he was searching for the next words to say. "Let's get out of here" was beneath what Rachel deserved. On the other hand, she was thinking maybe wine would help the both of them to be a little bit braver. She took her glass in her hand and smiled shyly at Will, whose eyes were following her every move.

"Don't." He stopped her. "We know exactly why we shouldn't drink, Rach." He took the glass from her hand and put it on the table.

"Really? And why is that?" Rachel replied frustrated, starting to think nothing would ever happen. She was silently asking her Jewish God if every male she had showed interest in needed a loud "you can kiss me if you want."

"We will do something we'll regret later." Will said sighing and looking down. That was it, Rachel was now officially pissed at him. Not only he had not kissed her when he should have, he was talking about regrets, which offended her deeply. Rachel stood up ready to leave after speaking her mind.

"William Schuester, you and I have flirted non-stop this evening, and don't pretend it didn't start much earlier than tonight. I could give you a detailed list of moments when things could have ended in... well... a horizontal position. I know you find me attractive and you should! Is it that disgusting for you to think about us acting on the very same thing we have been dancing around?" She searched his eyes as he stood up to face her.

"That is not what I meant, Rach." He whispered, his face was dead serious but she couldn't read him.

"Then I beg of you, explain to me what you were inferring because I'm lost and, quite frankly, tired of trying to read you." She crossed her arms over her chest waiting for his rejection speech to shoot everything they had in the foot.

"I meant that if anything is going to happen between us tonight I don't want either of us to be drunk. I want to remember everything the next day," his mouth was coming dangerously close to hers. "And the next," he placed one of his hands on her hips pulling her as close as physically possible. "And the next," he waited for her to say something, anything. He was pretty much all in.

Rachel blinked as he brushed her arm with his free hand, probably trying to make her relax her arms. She sighed, even though, as she had stated, they had been flirting all night, he had left no room for her to guess what he was feeling and what he wanted to do. Then she breathed in deeply. This gorgeous, sweet and caring man who had always meant more than just a simple teacher to her, was wearing his heart on his sleeve for her to either take and cherish or stomp on. He wasn't being subtle about how much he wanted her, and he wasn't masking it with alcohol. To the contrary, he was saying they didn't need the excuse of intoxication.

"You should just kiss me already," she replied, uncrossing her arms and grabbing him by his collar as plans and contradictions melded into one.

A.N.: I know, I know, cliffhanger. Please don't hate me, next chapter takes from when I left off.


	7. Chapter 7

"**Bricks": **

**CHAPTER VII:**

"You should just kiss me already." Rachel's words ignited every cell in Will's body. The urgency in her voice, added to her hands bringing him closer and the notorious dilation of her pupils, was absolutely inviting. Even if he wanted to, he would never be able to resist this amount of temptation. So he didn't.

Will leaned down and their warm lips met. The simplest touch making their bodies vibrate with a strength unknown to them. The kiss started sweet and slow but quickly became rough and passionate as they both gave in to their feelings with reckless abandon. It was wild, uncensored, passionate and it didn't feel PG 13 at all. The doubts, the angst, the anxiety and the internal conflicts both had experienced in the past days faded. Everything they had previously feared was gone with just one kiss. Tension was turning into intoxicating longing rather fast.

So there they were, kissing like there was no tomorrow, giving the audience a second show that was the perfect synthesis of their separate performances. Rachel couldn't wait to leave but she was completely against that kiss ever ending. She was thankful both were putting to good use their breath control proficiency. Unable to let go of her, Will blindly took his wallet from his back pocket, and threw enough money to cover the bill, he was determined not to let anything break this moment that was theirs and theirs only. Thankfully, he was skilled enough to prevent that from happening. Sadly, they had to get some air at some point, even if kissing until they were blue sounded like the brightest of all ideas at the moment.

The kiss ended; Rachel tightened her arms around Will's neck and rested her head on his chest while they were catching their breath. She was shaking a little at the clear amount of endorphins released. He was rubbing her back, reassuring her with his touch. They stood for a few minutes, hugging in silence as the people around them continued staring. Will and Rachel were in complete oblivion as to how many eyeballs were focusing on them; their minds and bodies were overwhelmed and solely focused on the other.

Rachel looked up and saw the question in his eyes, yet she couldn't speak. Will had rendered Rachel Berry speechless! She nodded at him, there was no reason to let dialogue cheapen the moment. They reluctantly let go of one another and left the karaoke bar holding hands, knowing they wouldn't be forgotten. Once they made it outside and air was helping them recover from kissing each other senseless, Rachel's spontaneity broke the ice.

"We kissed, Will!" She blurted out in sheer excitement, as he smiled at the way her eyes had widened.

"We did?" He laughed turning to face her. "I don't remember, maybe you can help me recall?" His hands trailed down from her shoulders to her forearms.

"Well, since you are asking so politely..." Rachel replied before standing on the tip of her toes and kissing him gently. "Is it coming to you now?" She asked, her lips still mere inches away from his.

"I think so." Will joked taking both of her hands in his. "But I'm still light-headed."

"You fool, you let a waitress neutralize you." She shook her head grinning, Rachel wasn't really complaining, though.

"And exactly for how long are you planning on hanging that over my head?" Will couldn't stop laughing at how ridiculously adorable she was.

"I'm afraid I'll have to think about it." She bit her lower lip and raised her eyebrows. "Luckily for you I have only five blocks to think." Rachel giggled. The way she had masked her intentions was masterful.

"In that case, we are taking a taxi." Will couldn't reply fast enough. Their back and forth couldn't be funnier or cuter but the eagerness to take Rachel to his apartment was taking over him.

"Oh, no, Mister, this is New York, a beautiful city to walk at night." She said pulling his hand and starting to walk. "We are walking."

"Ok." He laughed. "But, Rach?"

"Yes?"

"You'll have to pinch me at some point, I wanna make sure this isn't a dream." The sweetness in his voice made her eyes "aw".

"Don't be corny." They both shared a laugh, as she started swinging their linked hands.

The walk to Will's apartment took considerably longer than they thought. During the course of those five blocks they were forced to make several stops to kiss. After all, they needed to make up for every previous opportunity not taken. The wait had ended and they were making the most out of it. Will was incredibly happy and thankful he had accidentally left his phone behind the previous night. On the other hand, Rachel still couldn't believe how events had unfolded, nor could she wait for what was about to happen.

The doors of the elevator closed giving them the chance to have a Grey's Anatomy's moment that they chose to take. As Will's body was pressing against hers and they kissed, Rachel wondered if they were heading to the ninth floor or to cloud nine. She actually couldn't care less; wherever they were, they were pretty much together. However, Will did care where they were in more ways than one. First of all, he wished the elevator was faster. He needed to be alone with Rachel where they wouldn't be bothered, he wanted to make her feel as safe and wanted as possible, and he needed that yesterday. As for the other implication, he wasn't sure what to think. Regardless, this wasn't the time to define anything.

Once the door of his apartment closed behind them, Rachel started to slowly walk in the dark room. Will hadn't turn on the lights, and they could both agree it was better that way since it felt more intimate to be in the half-light. Will watched as she walked, still astonished that she was there with him to begin with. He was also giving Rachel some time to back down. Little did he know how much she was berating him in her mind for not making any move.

"Do I get to have the Shue residence tour?" Rachel asked turning to him from where she was, just a few feet away, though that felt like a lot more given the close proximity of their bodies she had gotten used to and loved in the past hour.

"Sure." Will walked towards Rachel and hugged her from behind, causing her to automatically smile and place her hands over his on her stomach. "Well, this is the living room area," he kissed the top of her head. "And right there on the left is the kitchen," he said as they walked past it. "On the right is the bathroom," he pressed his body closer to hers causing Rachel to gasp in response. "And this door we are facing leads to my bedroom..." he placed a kiss on her shoulder and waited for Rachel to say something. Will knew once that door opened he wouldn't be able to hold back.

"Even though I obviously couldn't see a thing and you were distracting me, trust me when I tell you this was the best tour ever." Still enveloped by his body, she turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck before kissing him on the lips as slowly as she could. Rachel sensed Will was holding back and needed to remind him there was no other place she would rather be.

Will easily lifted Rachel off the floor while she kept kissing him thoroughly. Both smiled into their kiss when she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, passion burning through them with every action. He turned them and pushed the door open with his own back. As if they had choreographed their movements, Rachel's foot kicked the door closed. It was amazing how synchronized they were.

"Team work." She whispered in his ear as they were nearing the bed.

"Of the best kind." Will replied carefully laying Rachel on his bed and placing himself on top of her, cautious not to crash her body with his weight. They remained that way for a few seconds, eyes locked, bodies touching, words unspoken and feelings multiplying. This was the moment they would later refer to as "the death of a platonic love." There wasn't anything remotely close to platonic in the way their bodies were touching and there was no subtlety in the fire in their eyes. There was no going back now.

Rachel ran her fingers along his jawline, making Will close his eyes and break eye contact with her for a spare second. They were both taking it all in. The not so distant past when he was her teacher and she was his student, the previous precious days together, this particular crazy evening turning into tangible adoration ... their hearts were beating so rapidly they both needed a moment in silence before doing anything else. Then the moment was gone.

Will opened his eyes and met hers smiling at him, encouraging him to take the next step. He tangled his hand in her hair and leaned down to kiss Rachel for the hundredth time. Each kiss had been different from the previous one, he noted. Every single one of them was asking for more, for everything they were willing to give. He let his hands wander, enjoying every inch of Rachel's body. The slow and snail like pace of his actions was killing her, but at the same time, Will not rushing towards the "main event" made Rachel realize how much he wanted her and how committed he was. Behind every subtle touch of his hands there were a thousand feelings and a growing promise. He wasn't a teenager eager to get lucky or nervous about how to go through the motions, he was an experienced man purposely deciding on this particular rhythm for them. They were giving their bodies time and opportunity to get acquainted to the other. Exploration was instinctive, sweet and a bit tortuous. It was like composing the most delicious of songs together.

Rachel practically mimicked his actions, and without realizing it, she was once again challenging Will. Soon enough they were competing about who could commit the other's body to memory first. Their senses were so heightened by the simplicity of their touches, by the pure romance of every moment, that their bodies started to resent how many clothes they were still wearing. Rachel kicked her shoes off trying to hint Will should do the same. When he seemed more focused on kissing her neck and fondling her breasts than on getting rid of his footwear, she knew she had to had to take a more proactive approach.

"Clothes, Will." Her brain betrayed her. Apparently, she couldn't form a more eloquent sentence. She giggled at that as he sighed happily before taking her shirt off.

"Your wish is my command." He stated staring at the amount of skin displayed in front of him. Will was about to kiss Rachel when she started lifting his shirt, but given the position she was in, he had to help her by taking it over his head and pulling it off.

They kissed with a more vigorous hunger when skin met skin. Desire was consuming them from within and was possessing their bodies. Will finally kicked off his shoes as Rachel undid his belt. His pants joined the rest of the discarded items on the floor in a matter of seconds. So did Rachel's skirt. Underwear was the only thing preventing them from being as together as they could be, and they couldn't really wait. This wasn't the time to be shy or patient.

Rachel unclasped her bra and Will kissed her chest while sliding it down her arms. It was another team effort that was pleasuring the both of them. The no longer PG 13 collaboration was just starting and they were already completely out of breath but willing to surrender their bodies and souls to each other. With steady hands, Rachel started to take her panties off, when Will stopped her.

"Let me do the honors, Rach," he said in a breathy voice. He had never sounded this sexy and Rachel was enjoying the notion of being able to fully know the man that was above her trailing kissed down her abdomen, making her shiver and giggle. The breathy voice was another piece in the puzzle that Will was. Rachel could only nod because if she had replied verbally, she would have sounded as breathy as he had. He got rid off her panties and kissed her inner thighs, causing Rachel to automatically squeeze her eyes shut. She could sense what was coming, his breath closing in on her center. She shivered in anticipation. She was completely exposed to him now and at his mercy.

Thoughts and sensations started to collide as he parted her legs further and his tongue explored her. Rachel wasn't a virgin but she wasn't experienced. Everything was a long story short when it came to her and Finn. Sex hasn't been entirely gratifying with him, at least not for her. In addition, her ex had never tried this particular move with her. Whatever Rachel had previously thought to be an orgasm paled in comparison to what Will was making her feel.

Rachel was shaking when Will crawled up her body and claimed her lips. She deepened the kiss with a passion so rough she thought she could actually break him in half. Her legs wrapped around his waist and with her feet, she pushed his boxers down knowing he would get the memo. Chuckling, he took them off and then kissed her again.

"God, you are gorgeous," He whispered in her ear while positioning himself.

"You are one to talk," Rachel laughed before planting a kiss on his chest, right above his heart.

Will brushed a strand of hair away from Rachel's face and kissed her soundly on the lips. After that, the room was filled with touches, kisses and occasional humming followed by moaning, friction and shared body heat. Goosebumps and butterflies arose as speed and rhythm changed and positions shifted while their bodies were giving in, letting emotions pour through their pores and souls. Confessions and promises translated into caresses in the dark and frantic delight. First it was it was slow and sensual, then fast, rougher, and then slow again ... they lost track of the number of times they screamed the other's name. In this case, they both wanted too much, and they couldn't have enough.

They were cuddling in the dark while their hearts were readjusting their rhythm. Will and Rachel both had a lot they wanted to say but words weren't coming to their heads. Everything made so much sense in the world in that particular moment, yet speech was a challenging art to master.

"Will?" Rachel was the first to end the silence.

"How do you feel?" He thought he had to ask, he was feeling amazing and thought she might too but he had to make sure.

"We made love!" She practically screamed, making him laugh. "Don't laugh!" She playfully slapped his chest. "We actually ... oh my Jewish God!"

"Rach," he took the hand she had slapped him with and kissed it. He proceeded talking when he saw her relax a little in his arms. "You are perfect; we are perfect; tonight was ... I'm at a loss of words. Help me out here."

"I think 'hot' is the word you are looking for, Will. 'Impossibly sweet' would also apply." She said before peppering his neck with kisses.

"I've never felt this alive, Rach." He said staring into her eyes.

"Ok, that's enough. I decide you are my boyfriend now. You can't say something like that after, well, something like that and not expect me to..." Rachel was cut off when Will suddenly took her mouth in a scorching kiss.

"Not expect you to what?" He whispered to her hair as his hand was sliding down her arm.

"Get my hopes up." She sighed starting to get lost in his touch again.

"Hey," he scanned her eyes with his, "you don't have to hope. I'm yours Rachel Berry." Will smiled at her sweetly.

"My corny boyfriend..." Rachel giggled and pulled Will closer to kiss him again.

They fell asleep after another round of kisses and jokes knowing this was the start of something exiting. True, their lives weren't what they wanted yet, but being this close ... it didn't matter if everything hadn't happened according to planned. In fact, their goals seemed easier to reach now they had someone to celebrate with every step of the way.

Rachel woke up when she felt Will tighten his arms around her but chose not to open her eyes. It was his turn to wake her up.

"Rach, are you awake?" Will said softly as he trailed his fingers down her spine.

"No..." She said in a playful tone, with her eyes still closed. Will couldn't help smiling.

"Aw." He kissed her shoulder. "Then you wouldn't be interested in having breakfast in bed?" Rachel opened her eyes immediately, causing him to smile. "I thought so." Will let go of her and sat up quickly.

"That was rather evil." Rachel narrowed her eyes at him and sat up as well, covering herself with the sheets while he was putting on the fresh pair of boxers he took from a drawer in his dresser.

"I'll be right back." He kissed the top of her head and left the room. Rachel sighed watching him leave. That man that, who she had decided was now her boyfriend, was her former teacher and about to make breakfast for her after a night of passion. She had to blink twice in order to make sure she was in fact awake.

Hearing him singing, she thought she should join him even though she never wanted to leave that bed. Rachel stirred and stood up looking for his shirt to put on. Once she was covered, she went to the bathroom to freshen up. She had feared she would look like a train-wreck considering the amount of exercise they had done probably equated to running a marathon. Yet she found she had a glow to her; she felt pretty because of him. Because of the way he had treated her and the reactions she had caused in him. Rachel started to hum as she neared the kitchen, where he was placing their breakfast on a tray.

"Good morning, boyfriend." She said smiling wide, testing the word on her lips and waiting to read his reaction.

"From stalker to boyfriend, huh? That's an upgrade." He joked kissing her cheek. "Good morning, beautiful." Right at that second Rachel was positive she was going to have some major troubles leaving that apartment.

"If you were able to charm your way from stalker to boyfriend you should be proud of yourself." She smiled. "What can I help you with?"

"It's all set, all we have to do is go back to bed and have breakfast." Will took the tray and started walking towards the bedroom, Rachel following him closely behind. He stopped walking and turned to her before going inside the room. "Ladies first." He smiled.

"You are such a gentleman." She entered his bedroom. "But I know you are staring at my behind. Which as my boyfriend, you are entitled to do by the way." Rachel said matter-of-factly as both laughed.

"Good to know." Will said as both sat. "What else comes with the territory?" He handed her a cup of coffee.

"Well, there is a long list of rights and responsibilities for you to memorize actually..." She said in a sassy voice.

"Let me guess, you and Santana wrote it." Will inquired while taking a cereal bar.

"You are good!" Rachel was surprised how accurate he was. "Speaking of San, I HAVE to call her right now!" She put the cup on the tray and jumped up. Before he could say anything, Rachel was back with her cellphone in hand.

"Right now?" Will laughed.

"Absolutely! This will be fun." Rachel kissed him quickly and speed-dialed the Latina. She put the phone on speaker as he watched her curiously.

"Berry, this better be good. I'm driving and it's way early for your soap operas." Santana greeted her the Lopez way.

"In that case I should call you later, I don't want you to crash..." Rachel played the mystery card.

"What makes you think you and "The Schuester" making puppy eyes with one another would make me crash?" Santana laughed.

"Hello, Santana, it's The Schuester here." Will said amused by the nickname he had been given; Rachel was so proud of him!

"Holly hell!" Santana parked her car abruptly. "Sherry is alive! I want to know everything. Are you both able to walk this morning? If you can't, that's my girl! B, I'm so proud of you right now!" Rachel started to blush as Will whispered how adorable she looked with her cheeks pinking up.

"San!" Rachel protested, "What if he hadn't known!" Rachel turned to him. "Will, I apologize for whatever you are about to hear coming from her." Rachel looked into his eyes biting her lower lip.

"Oh, please! You chased him around a piano once, Berry! And I didn't hear a no so start talking! The both of you! Don't spare any details."

"Not in front of him, San! I am not stroking his ego! All I can say is we had a magical time." Rachel blew Will a kiss.

"You are perfect." He blurted out forgetting there was a third party in the conversation.

"Well, thank you, boyfriend." She kissed him.

"Get a room!" Santana screamed bringing "Sherry" back to reality. "But before you do that, I have two things to say. One, don't you ever say the word 'stroke' followed by 'his' if you don't want a dirty joke, B. And two, give me something else. What was THE move, Rach?"

"I will pretend I didn't hear what you said first, San." Rachel said in a serious tone, while Will was sipping some orange juice pretending to be distracted.

"Fine. But tell me about the move!" Santana said laughing.

"That, I can tell you. He sang 'You are beautiful' by James Blunt to me. San, isn't that super romantic?"

"You used a James Blunt song to get laid, Mr. Shue? What the hell? I'm disappointed now. And you, Berry, you can't settle for anything less than Coldplay and you know it." Santana was actually starting to sound a bit like Rachel herself, Will noted.

"I didn't have much to choose from; we were at a karaoke bar." Will tried to explain. Santana had clearly cheapened his intentions.

"It was a breathtaking performance, San! I was deeply moved by it. Will, don't listen to her." Rachel said taking a piece of his cereal bar and resting her free hand on his knee. Will was staring at her, hypnotized. She wasn't just defending Will, Rachel was also very comfortable around him, almost as if they had had breakfast in bed before. He couldn't shake the feeling that they fit. Things had fallen into place somehow.

"I love you." Escaped his lips in a whisper that both young women could hear. Rachel's jaw dropped while her heart was doing the most incredible somersaults.

"Sweet Jesus!" Santana screamed. "Jump him right now, Berry! Bye you crazy lovebirds!" The Latina hung up smiling. Her best friend sounded happy and for the sound of it, there was some massive puppy love going on between her and "The Schuester". Santana couldn't wait to tell Finn about the "Sherry adventures."

Rachel was collecting her thoughts while Will was staring right into her eyes. He hadn't meant to let that slip but he wasn't anywhere close to take it back. For a man that was afraid of taking chances, he had made an epic breakthrough, two in a row actually, and he couldn't be happier. There was something soothing about Rachel; something that didn't make him afraid of the world.

"You meant that." It wasn't a question, Rachel heard how heartfelt that "I love you" was. He nodded. "You DO realize that this is borderline insane, right? We ... everything happened so fast ... but that is beside the point, ugh, I am rambling, Will! See what you made me do?" Rachel was freaking out and he found that cute.

"You made me sing a cheesy song ,and I just told you I love you while your best friend was listening. I think we are even, Rach." Will held her hand.

"How did this happen?" She laughed shaking her head as if she was trying to wake up from some dream.

"How did what happen?" He was buying time; he knew he couldn't really answer that particular query. Love had taken him by surprise as well.

"This! Us! Love! How...?" Rachel was blinking like crazy while Will took the tray and placed it on the floor. He was afraid she would jump in bed and make a mess.

"Did you just admit you love me too, girlfriend?" Will raised an eyebrow.

"Of course I love you, you fool!" Rachel said exactly two seconds before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him like there actually WAS a tomorrow, even if they wouldn't leave that bedroom to live it with the rest of the mortals.

Santana was right, "Sherry" was alive...

A.N.: I hope this makes up for the cruel cliffhanger from the previous chapter. I am actually nervous about this particular piece because the pace has taken a turn, so I hope you like it. Thanks again to the wonderful BuffyAnne for editing! And to everyone who has favorited and reviewed the story!


	8. Chapter 8

"**Bricks": **

**CHAPTER VIII:**

A knock on Will's door interrupted Rachel's dreams. It was a little past noon and they were still in bed, recovering from their private "I love you celebration" after their phone call with Santana. She sat up and huffed in annoyance while Will was just starting to open his eyes.

"I bet this is your neighbor or her unashamed daughter," Rachel said complaining.

"They will leave, Rach," Will said still a little groggy, reaching his hand out to grab her wrist. "Let's stay here a bit longer."

"You do that; I'll get the door." Rachel kissed him quickly and freed her wrist. "What they are doing is practically harassment." She jumped out of bed.

"Hey, I can have stalkers too," Will grinned, and Rachel narrowed her eyes in response. He had chosen the wrong time to joke.

"Absolutely not," Rachel stared at him seriously.

"I was kidding, Rach. Don't go, please?" he sat up.

Rachel was clearly upset and opted not to listen to him, instead she headed towards the door. She knew exactly how she looked and was going to use it to her favor. As if wearing Will's shirt and nothing else wasn't enough, she ran her hands through her hair and messed it up further, then pushed it to the side to expose her neck and showcase the hickey Will had given her. She smiled at her own actions; the very idea of putting on another show for either of the women was thrilling. Rachel opened the door, smiling. She was right, Lisa Montgomery was in front of the door.

"Good afternoon," Rachel said in a cheerful tone, "what can I help you with?" Lisa looked at Rachel up and down. She was obviously expecting Will to get the door.

"Um, we ran out of milk, and I was wondering if we could borrow some from Will," Lisa said taken off guard. Rachel rolled her eyes again.

"I'm very sorry but he doesn't have any milk at all. He is on a vegan diet now," Rachel said, trying not to giggle as she heard Will's loud laughter coming from the bedroom.

"Oh, he didn't seem like the type." Lisa crossed her arms, for some strange reason the women wasn't leaving. Rachel shook her head.

"Excuse me?"

"He doesn't look like a vegan to me. Veganism is unhealthy and he looks healthy," Lisa smiled, knowing she was probably striking a chord.

"Don't you worry. He's completely healthy; he is in perfect shape and has a lot of energy," Rachel smirked. "More than one would imagine," she emphasized.

"Good to know," Lisa retorted.

"Is there anything else you need?" Rachel was enjoying this game but at the same time, she really hated that woman and needed her gone.

"No, I guess I'll ask someone else; sorry for bothering you."

"I guess you have to ... it's a pity we can't help you. Have a nice day." Rachel said and then proceeded to close the door in Lisa's face. "Skank," she mumbled.

Laughing uncontrollably, Will walked in Rachel's direction holding a robe in his hands. Truth be told, Rachel's jealousy was both profoundly flattering and comic.

"I'm on a vegan diet?" he asked handing her the piece of clothing. "That was a nice touch, Rach."

"I know." She put the robe on smiling as he checked her out. "I hope she learned her lesson and stays far, far away from your door. Or else. I mean, milk? Milk, Will? What was that? A spin of borrowing sugar? That has to be the oldest trick in the book!" Rachel said before realizing the way he was looking at her. "What?"

Will moved closer and tightened the knot of the robe, then placed his hands on her hips as Rachel's eyes were following his actions. She knew Will was nurturing and caring; she had always been aware of that fact but the way he cared about her and how he made a point to show it every step of the way fascinated her. William Schuester was a man with good manners, a complete gentleman, and above all things her boyfriend.

"You are a vision." Will stepped closer and kissed her nose causing Rachel to automatically wrap her arms around him in a hug.

"We both look like a mess, Will." Rachel sank her head in his chest and inhaled his scent.

"A beautiful one, though," He added.

"Mhm. By the way, did you change your cologne? This robe smells like the old you, not like..." Rachel was interrupted by Will's laughter, "Why are you laughing?"

"The old me?" Will raised an eyebrow.

"Well, there isn't an old you because you are not old, that is not what I meant, but ... am I crazy? You didn't change your cologne?" Rachel tilted her head in confusion.

"I did, you are not crazy. Are you hungry?" Will turned and headed to the kitchen. Rachel smiled.

"Did you change it for me?" She caught up with him, who could see the curiosity in her eyes.

"Maybe," Will smiled gingerly.

"You totally did!" Rachel bumped his arm with her shoulder. "That is so romantic," she smiled.

Rachel was taking a shower while Will was doing his best to prepare lunch for the both of them. She still couldn't believe anything that had happened. The night before, breakfast, talking to Santana, the exchange of I love yous, the charade with Lisa ... and now she was in his shower! Rachel was in her BOYFRIEND'S shower! She had a boyfriend! Her ex teacher! The petite brunette had no idea how that was so outrageous after being in his bed, yet she couldn't push the thought away. There was a weird sense of commitment and something else she couldn't place. It wasn't doubt or fear, but something felt out of place. Emotions started to mix. As great as Rachel had felt with Will and even though she had no idea how she was ever going to leave his apartment, something was telling her to be careful. Maybe the walls she had set up so high and he had easily climbed were still there somehow, or maybe there were some bricks still around...

She knew she loved him. The question was how that had happened; it was obviously too soon for love. In fact, it may have been too sudden for anything to start between them. The time for affection to transform into infatuation had accelerated and she hadn't had a say in that matter, that had her wondering if terminal velocity had something to do with them falling this hard, this fast. He was bringing out a side of her she didn't really know was there in the first place. Rachel wondered if he felt the same way, and it scared her that he might. She also questioned if she knew him well enough to have all these feelings for him, but what seemed more important at the time was the notion that she loved what she knew and she couldn't wait to discover what she didn't.

Will was a good cook but having Rachel there was unexpected and, until now, he had never considered how difficult it was to feed a vegan. Not wanting to disappoint her with a simple salad, he looked online and ordered vegan pizza, then made a mental note to buy products she could eat. Will knew it probably wasn't necessary to try to woo Rachel at this point, yet he wished to. He wanted to romance her the way she deserved. To conquer her even if she was no longer a conquest. He still longed for her to be his challenge. Loving Rachel Berry had been the easy part after all. As a matter of fact, it had been so effortless that he never wanted the spell to break. He longed for the last twenty-four hours to be just a small sample of the potential they had.

The pizza arrived soon after Will had showered and Rachel had set the table. Lunch was pleasant and easy. As flirty and touchy-feely as Will and Rachel now were, they were still able to eat and talk. They pushed each others buttons often and they enjoyed that. It was part of their dynamic; it had always been. Perhaps that was one of the reasons they felt there was something truly organic about the way they interacted. They didn't hold back, they respected one another and they could just talk for hours and never be bored. This was really starting to feel like a relationship for both of them. Sure, it had all been abrupt in a way but they just fit. It worked and there was no way around it. Practice was beating theory's ass. Yet Rachel had too many questions in her head and she couldn't lay them to rest.

"I need to ask you something," she said, then drank some water.

"Ask away," Will replied as his curiosity spiked.

"What was, of all my performances, the one you loved the least?" she smiled. Rachel was convinced he had been proud of her whole body of work, but she still had to know.

"'Push It' was an unpleasant surprise, Rach," he laughed while she was scanning his eyes. "But I have to go with 'Pretending'." Will looked down. He shouldn't have said that at all and he knew it, but he couldn't lie to her.

"For what it's worth, I do regret that kiss. I saw how disappointed you were and I never said anything because, well, I had no excuses really." Rachel expression saddened noticeably.

"It's all right, Rach," he tried, in vain, to smile.

"Is it?" She could detect there was something off.

"Yes. I wasn't disappointed. I ... It wasn't your fault." Will took her hand from across the table.

"It sort of was; we didn't place ... you don't have to protect me from the truth. I know I blew it." She intertwined her fingers with his.

"Ok, yes. But that is not what you saw," Will sighed. He couldn't believe after all those years, he was going to admit this in front of her. He was even surprised he was saying it out loud. He had buried that memory and the feelings that came with it.

"Then what did I misread? Were you sad?" Her eyes showed concern; she could see there was a partially unhealed wound of Will's she had just thrown salt in.

"I was frustrated," he said, letting go of the emotional baggage that moment conveyed. "When Jesse sat next to me that day because he couldn't stay away from you, I realized how lucky I was that I didn't have to be away from you myself. Yet I couldn't ... that scared me." Will closed his eyes for a second. Memory lane was a hard pill to swallow after vegan pizza.

"You are saying..." The question died in her lips, Rachel started to feel overwhelmed by what she had accidentally discovered.

"Yes, that's exactly what I meant. Then Finn kissed you." Will let out a breath he had been holding.

"What would have happened if he hadn't?" her voice trembled.

"I honestly don't know. I don't think I would have ... I don't think we ... you were my student." He was actually starting to feel like he had back then: completely insecure.

Rachel knew she had to change the subject; this was too much for both of them. True, she was giggling inside. This confession made her realize maybe what they were now wasn't so out of the blue, but questioning what could have been wasn't really helping.

"It wasn't even that good of a kiss," she smiled, "Finn was scared and I was taken by surprise." Rachel paused. "On the other hand, 'Push It' was genius. I shouldn't have gone behind your back but I needed to make a point," Rachel shrugged.

"That was too radical for me, Rach." Will took the detour she had offered them both.

"Funny you say that. It was your idea to do 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' and it didn't ultimately happen, but with Sam afraid to do the part, you and I would have ended up doing 'Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me'. If that isn't radical, I don't know what is." Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"You thought about that?" Will laughed mischievously.

"I can't either confirm nor deny that. It didn't happen." Rachel replied giving away a big fat yes.

"That might have been a blessing in disguise," he retorted.

"I can't say I can argue with that," Rachel nodded. Yes, Sherry had been there long before they would like to admit it. The challenge had always been there. In a strange way they were an unfinished business. A "what if" that lasted years.

"Do you have any other sizzling questions fro me, Ms. Berry?"

"Yes." Rachel had a list actually, but she had to prioritize. "Was dinner at my apartment a date, Will? I didn't plan it to be one but ... I don't know. I guess I'm trying to make some sense of everything."

"I don't think it was. Even if we now feel it was. We were just hanging out. And feelings surfaced." He stood up and took their plates to the kitchen.

"What about last night? Was that a date? Did we sleep together on our first date?" Rachel was starting to realize the rapidity of things. Sensing what she meant, Will laid the plates in the sink, practically jogged to where she was and brushed her hair.

"Breath, Rach. I'm going to take you out on a real date," he said locking eyes with her. "We may be doing everything out of order but we will do everything."

"Deal." She took his hand and stood up. "Now we should get more proactive." Rachel kissed him quickly and they both walked to the couch, where they sat in front of the laptop placed on his coffee table.

They looked at casting calls for almost two hours and selected a couple for each of them. Will and Rachel had two weeks before classes began, so they had to make the most of it. Rachel was actually convinced they had great chances at being called to participate in Law & Order; she knew every actor in New York had made an appearance on that show and she wanted them to try. Will, of course, laughed at her reasoning, even though she had a point.

While Rachel was passionately stating that they would be assets to any and every production out there, Will decided to lay down on the couch, his mind was drained from the audition hunt. Seeing him getting comfortable, Rachel decided she should lay down as well, so they cuddled in the couch as she kept going on and on about how fast their careers would take off once producers and directors knew them. At that point, Will was so sleepy he agreed with everything she said.

"I know you are not paying enough attention," Rachel said tracing idle patterns on his arm. Will didn't reply, he just puller her closer and kissed her. "Now you are deflecting."

"I'm not, Rach," he laughed. "This couch isn't big enough for both of us, we have to spoon or you'll fall..."

"Right ... so you do agree Matrix the Musical is an option for you?"

"Well, I'm not convinced yet. It sounds a bit absurd," he replied, sliding his hands under her shirt and stroking her sides.

"Fine, it is a rather dangerous concept, especially for an Off-Broadway show, but I still believe you don't have anything to lose by auditioning." Rachel closed her eyes feeling his hands gracing her skin. "Promise me you will consider it."

"Ok," he said kissing her neck.

"But you have to attend to the Dr. Horrible audition first; that one looks very interesting." Rachel was trying to make him agree since she sensed he wasn't going to deny her anything. If he was going to get his way with her, she was going to make sure to get things done her way as well.

"I will, but now I'm trying to make you relax." Will threw his leg over hers and brought Rachel closer to him. She gasped as soon as she came in contact with his arousal.

"You need boundaries, Will," Rachel said laughing.

"Are you complaining?" he replied, cupping her breasts.

"Not exactly, but we do need to get on track with our schedules," Rachel said trying not to gasp. She wasn't going to let her focus falter because of his touch. "And we need to get out eventually."

"Not right now," he whispered in her ear. "It's our honeymoon phase, Rach," Will said before kissing her languidly but just as their make out session was becoming more hot and heavy someone knocked the door, destroying the moment.

"Ok, speaking of boundaries ... she's going to listen to me this time." Rachel pushed Will away and jumped from the couch, before going to get the door. Will followed her this time. He sensed his girlfriend would slap the person knocking on his door.

"Don't get it," he whispered to her ear. Rachel cut him off by kissing his neck as she quickly started to unbutton his shirt.

"Rach what are you doing? Boundaries..." He couldn't continue with that sentence; Rachel was kissing his neck more aggressively now, sucking and biting and he wasn't that sure he wanted her to stop. "Oh Lord..."

"Against the door, NOW! I want her to hear us." She looked into his eyes. His pupils were reacting to her actions and her own eyes were filled with want.

"Rach I don't think..." Will tried in vain to stop her, but Rachel wasn't going to give him a break, nor was she letting him speak since she was now claiming his lips hungrily. He knew this was crazy yet he couldn't process a single thought at the time.

"Don't argue with me," Rachel said between kisses while she pressed her back against the door and brought him closer.

"But this..." Rachel opened his fly not listening to his futile attempt to cool things down.

"Don't you want me, Will?" Rachel pouted while she took his hand and placed it on her breast, he closed his eyes and squeezed it gently.

"Oh, what the hell," he groaned and gave in. A smile formed in Rachel's lips. She had made Will Schuester surrender; she had power over him. That very thought was heating her blood even more.

Will pushed Rachel against the door while he kissed her roughly. While their tongues were battling and their breathing became erratic, he placed a hand behind her head and the other traveled from her chest to her legs. As soon as he stroked Rachel's thigh, she got the hint and proceeded to wrap one of her legs around his waist while she used the other to keep some balance.

"You drive me crazy." He said gasping for air.

"I'm taking that as a compliment for the time being." Rachel replied bracing herself by grabbing his shoulders before kissing him once again.

Will's ability to form words was gone, the air was thickening around them; lust was taking over what little restrain he had left. He pushed her panties to the side and in a second, without doubt, hesitation or any kind of preamble, he was inside of her.

Rachel cried out when he started moving, on this occasion he didn't give her time to adjust to his size. Will was too turned on to slow down. Her hands were gripping his shoulders strongly as the hand he had between her legs flew to her lower back, bringing them closer, bringing him deeper. He was trapping her with his body and yet he was protecting her head from hitting the door.

It was hard and fast, loud and delicious. They both ended up panting against the door, smiling like idiots into each other's necks until they started laughing. Will looked into Rachel's eyes and let her down slowly not breaking eye contact; they had the same mischievous look.

"Why did you let me do that? Why didn't you stop me? Will!" Rachel said, realizing they had been partners in a very sexy crime: they had became exhibitionists in a way.

"Are you kidding me? You were ... persuasive. And I'm only human..." he shrugged, still trying to breathe normally.

"I guess I was quite forceful. You couldn't resist ... I still can't believe we did that! I felt possessed by desire all of the sudden and..." Rachel trailed off as she was watching him fix his clothes. "Oh my Jewish God! Do you think she heard?"

"Rach, the whole neighborhood heard that," he laughed.

"Well, we have a healthy libido. Your neighbors should be jealous." Rachel fixed Will's collar. "And by the way, that was amazing." She winked. "You were on fire."

"Mhm," Will kissed her. "So were you."

"Are you two done?" Mrs. Montgomery said from the other side of the door.

"She's still there!" Rachel whispered. "Wow." She sunk her head on his chest and giggled. Will wrapped his arms around her and started to silently laugh as well.

"I can hear you ... so do my kittens..." Said the neighbor, who, strangely, wanted to have some sort of conversation with the couple.

"Kittens?" Rachel smiled fixing her clothes.

"Yes, dear, kittens."

Rachel turned still enveloped in Will's arms and opened the door. Will would have tried to stop her but he was still coming to his senses and she was actually fast at opening the door. Rachel was always going to sneak up on him, he realized.

"Well, hello," Mrs. Montgomery said smiling at them.

"Hi," Rachel and Will said at the unison.

"My husband and I used to be like that," the old lady stated confusing them as to what she meant exactly. Was it them saying the same word simultaneously or what she had just heard them doing? Rachel blushed and Will tightened his arms around her feeling he needed to protect her from the scrutiny. She looked at him briefly and placed her own hands over his on her stomach.

"You said you have kittens?" Will said changing the topic. The women just nodded, still watching them and how their bodies were connected.

"Aw, Will, kittens! Are they cute Mrs. Montgomery?" Rachel was starting to relax.

"Why don't you come and see them. I was wondering if you would like to adopt one." Will and Rachel exchanged a look, then smiled to one another. It was amazing how they read each other. Will let go of her and took his keys from the door. He locked the apartment, took Rachel's hand in his and they followed the old lady.

Mrs. Montgomery had all kinds of pets. Oscar was the only dog, but there were birds, exotic fish, rodents they didn't know existed, and even a few spiders. Will's neighbor was clearly an interesting person.

As Will and Rachel walked through the apartment, Rachel was feeling dirty and sexy. Her mind was still attempting to process what she and her boyfriend had done. She never thought anyone would elicit her in such a way. Then she looked at Will and noticed he was lost in thought as well. He had never behaved so recklessly either. As if they knew what the other was thinking, they shared another smile and he tightened his grip on her hand. The whole scene was colorful, first sex virtually in front of an elderly women, then getting a kitten. They wouldn't have imagined that could happen in their wildest dreams.

"Here they are," Mrs. Montgomery pointed at the litter. "Our little Emmy had six of these cute flurry babies."

"Emmy?" Rachel asked. She realized Mrs. Montgomery had probably named her pets after award shows, which made her more intriguing than the brunette would ever admit.

"Yes, I keep a them. That is why Oscar The third is well, the third," the women nodded.

"You are full of surprises," Will interjected as he and Rachel knelt in front of the kittens.

"You too, William," Mrs. Montgomery winked at him while Rachel, who was starting to blush furiously, held a gray kitten on her arms.

"I like this one," Rachel said. Will petted the little kitten's head.

"You are welcome to take him with you, honey. They are driving my Emmy insane. That is why we ran out of milk today; she eats too much when she's stressed."

"Oh," Rachel said recalling her previous interaction with Lisa Montgomery. "Well, we are taking him," She said as Will nodded in agreement. He couldn't say no to that kitten that was purring at his touch, and he realized he couldn't deny anything to Rachel, at least, not that day.

"Perfect. He needs a loving family and from what I've seen, you are one," the women said grinning.

"Well, thank you very much, we will take very good care of him, I promise," Rachel said, holding her new pet strongly. "He's so adorable, isn't he, Will?" Rachel looked at him.

"He is," he smiled timidly. Suddenly he felt like they were adopting a child. "Thanks Mrs. Montgomery."

"You are welcome. Help yourselves out, please, I need to feed my lizards now," the neighbor said walking out of the room.

Before they were eaten by some creature, Rachel and Will made a quick exit and entered his apartment.

"Oh, look at you, you tiny baby," Rachel said to her pet. "Now you need a name, but while I think about one that suits you, all you need to know is that I am Rachel, this is Will and you are all mine." Will laughed listening to her. Not only was she adorable, Rachel had lifted a weight from his shoulders by stating the cat was hers.

"We should get some food for him, Rach," Will said hugging her from behind.

"We can do that on our way to my apartment." She kissed him on the cheek. "Do you want to help me pick a name?"

"I'm curious to see what you come with," Will said before heading to his room, he needed to pack an overnight bag.

He stopped to think for a second. They were actually doing this. They were in a serious relationship after spending less than a week together. After this, he could no longer call himself a coward; he was jumping head first into something amazing and scary in equal measure. He picked a change of clothes and packed it along with his pajamas while listening to Rachel, who was singing a lullaby to the still unnamed kitten.

Meanwhile in Lima, Santana Lopez parked her car at Burt Hummel's shop and exited the vehicle.

"Hey," Finn said opening the door for her.

"I'm here for my oil change." She raised an eyebrow as Finn giggled like a four year old. "God, Hudson, you are so immature..."

"Whatever. It will be ready later this evening. How are you?" he said still smiling.

"Never been better, you?" She handled him her keys.

"Same, but it's been kinda boring lately with almost everyone gone, you know?" Finn looked down.

"Yeah, I know. But maybe we can hang out later when I pick up my car. If I haven't found anything else to do, that is." Santana started to walk away, she was convinced he was going to take the bait.

"I'll buy you dinner," Finn tried to bargain, she turned to him.

"Ok, then I will pick you and my car up at seven. A girl's got to eat." Santana acted casual when he had walked straight into her trap.

"Later, San." Finn smiled.

"Whatever." She shrugged and left the place. Telling Finn about Sherry was going to be a blast.

Rachel and Will were laying on her bed, starring at the little kitten stirring on top of Will's stomach. Rachel was in awe; she couldn't think of anything more precious to watch at the moment, so she decided to take a picture of her boyfriend and her new pet. She "awed" at the image in her cellphone and then proceeded to show it to Will, who, by the way still hadn't recovered his own phone yet. With all that had happened it had stayed inside Rachel's purse all that time.

"This is a lovely picture." She kissed him. "And his first portrait but also the first one I take of you..." She rested her head on his shoulder.

"We can take pictures of us together tomorrow, Rach." Will wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I would love that," she smiled. "And you can add them to the collection you have stored in your phone." She bit her lip.

"Of course you saw that," Will laughed. "What else did you find?"

"All my performances, pictures with us that I've never seen and..." she paused in order to take a breath, "Shelby's number..." Rachel sighed at the last piece of information. Will's eyes widened.

"I have everyone's performances, as I'm sure you've seen." Will drew her closer. "And Brad took those pictures, we barely noticed him but he registered some good moments. Who would have thought, right?" He smiled. "And..."

"Have you been in touch with her, Will?" Rachel cut him off.

"Not until a few months ago. She contacted me to let me know she was quitting her job and wanted to know if I would be interested in taking it." Will locked eyes with Rachel, he knew this kind of information could sadden her.

"So that's why you didn't tell me about coming here..." Rachel was starting to put two and two together.

"Partly, yes. I didn't want you to get hurt."

"It's not your fault she didn't pick me and at least she knows how to choose her replacement." Rachel snuggled up to him. She was being honest but it was breaking Will's heart how she had internalized her mother's abandonment.

"Maybe it's not that she didn't choose you, maybe she chose to protect you from her." Will started rubbing Rachel's back, even if she wasn't going to admit it, she needed him. She pet her kitten and wondered for the briefest of seconds if Shelby had asked him about her at all, but opted against asking in fear of his answer. She didn't want to put Will in the position to be the one to deliver sad news.

"Maybe. We'll never know and that's just fine. In a crazy way, she brought us together, right?" Rachel closed her eyes trying not to think about Shelby and focusing on Will's heartbeat.

"No, Rach. She brought me here. We brought us together." He kissed the top of her head, and with that tender action, Rachel's happiness was evicting the fleeting sadness the memory of Shelby had brought. "I choose you, ok? I love you," Will said because she needed it. He needed to say it again too. There wasn't a more perfect moment to be vocal about it.

"I love you too." She kissed him tenderly. "That was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me," Rachel added trying to suppress bitter-sweet tears. "I choose you too, Will." The brunette smiled her mega watt smile at him. "By the way, I don't have a least favorite performance of yours but as far as Glee's numbers go, 'Time of your life' was the worst," She giggled making part of his concern go away.

And with that, all bitterness disappeared. For now.


	9. Chapter 9

"**Bricks": **

**CHAPTER IX:**

Rachel's cellphone ringing doomed yet another morning for her and Will. The world was against them waking up normally, it seemed. Rachel stirred still in Will's arms.

"Good morning," Will said, nuzzling her neck as she checked who was calling her at six in the morning.

"Sorry. It's the BFF." Rachel put the phone on speaker and left it on her night table. She wasn't ready to move just yet.

"Rise and shine, Sherry!" the Latina said clearly and audibly exited.

"Hey, San, you woke us up for the record," Rachel said complaining.

"It's true?" Will and Rachel heard Finn ask in absolute shock.

"Is that...?" Will whispered starting to feel nervous.

"Yes," Rachel replied, her eyes were now wide open. "Just great." Feeling territorial, Will tightened his grip on Rachel automatically.

"We can hear you," Santana laughed.

"I'm sure there is an explanation; this can't be real." Finn was trying to convince himself, but was also asking to be lied to.

"Yes, they are camping in her bed, Hudson." Santana rolled her eyes. "So what's up, Sherry?" she tried to open a new conversation.

"Well, I have a kitten now and Finn is there and you have us on speaker! That is what's up!" Rachel emphasized.

"Surprise!" Santana replied, enjoying every syllable.

"Santana Lopez, I swear, sometimes it looks like you hate me," Rachel stated as anger was building up.

"You know I love you," Santana's tone lowered. Their friendship was slightly unbalanced, but it was a friendship nonetheless.

"A heads up would have been nice, BFF. Seriously!" Rachel groaned, yet she smiled. She knew as drastic as this was, her friend probably didn't have bad intentions when she called. She was sure Santana was happy and supportive of her and Will.

"There's no fun in that, B," Santana said, laughing harder. "He wanted proof."

"Are you like in bed with him right now?" Finn kept asking obvious questions. He would never admit it but Will was starting to enjoy this phone call. Rachel wasn't conflicted about Finn knowing, and Finn wasn't asking her to come back to him promising teenage love. In his book, this was good. This was an answer to a question he hadn't ask Rachel, and now he didn't have to.

"Good morning to you too, Finn." Still enveloped in his arms, Rachel turned to Will and placed her phone between them, Even though she was overwhelmed by her ex-boyfriend talking to them during such an intimate moment, she was reluctant to end the cuddling. "And if you must know, yes, we are in bed. As I've previously stated, we were peacefully sleeping before your unwanted intrusion."

"Shame on you both! You should be doing it like bunnies!" Santana joked. Well, not really, but she still managed to make Will and Rachel laugh while, on the other hand, Finn shifted uncomfortably in his place. He thought Santana was joking when she had told him that his former girlfriend and teacher were an item.

"Ok, guys, we're busted. Now can we go back to sleep?" Will said while he drew Rachel's body closer to his.

"What he said," Rachel stated, blowing a kiss at Will. "You already had your fun at our expense."

"You are sleeping with Mr. Schue?" Finn asked the evident again, still waiting for a negative reply that would never come. He had never been the brightest crayon in the box. "Well, not sleeping-sleeping, I mean doing ... stuff. Like for real?"

"He's 'The Schuester' now, Finn. Get used to it," Santana interjected, making team Sherry smile. "And I'm sure they don't do _stuff_. They are old fashioned; they make loooove..." Santana grinned. Her plan had worked perfectly so far.

"Yes, Finn, for real, and don't make it sound so cheap, please." Rachel shook her head while she rested her hands on Will's chest. "And you are paying for this, San," she huffed, still smiling.

"Sorry, Berry, I couldn't resist."

"Yeah, yeah... consider yourself very lucky for not altering my sunny disposition completely by now but don't push it. By the way, what are you two doing together so early aside from torturing us?" Rachel was starting to wake up. There was silence on the other end. "Oh my Jewish God! Will, they are... San! And Finn! This- this is... wow!" Will couldn't stop laughing at his girlfriend and the whole situation.

"He looks good all greasy, what can I say? Maybe I'm into guys again, who knows?" Santana shrugged.

"We talked and stuff." Finn tried to explain only God knows what.

"Well, Mazel Tov. Your reunion sounds very lovely," Rachel said partly bothered, half dazed and a tiny bit content with the opportunity to mock them. On the other hand, Will just couldn't stop smiling at her. In fact, he couldn't keep his hands off her. Neither of them could. Their bodies had been getting closer to one another throughout the phone conversation.

"You can't be pissed, B," stated Santana. Finn and Rachel had been done for a long time now. However this was a bit of a charade; the Latina was certain that her friend wasn't angry at her for hooking up with Finn.

"I am not. I just don't appreciate the ambush, that's all. I'm happy you are whatever it is you are, and I don't mean to be rude but we want to sleep!" Rachel said tangling her legs with Will's.

"Congrats, guys," Will said, before kissing Rachel. "Calm down, Rach, let them be." He couldn't hide his happiness at what he was listening to. After all, Santana could be his angel in disguise.

"They are kissing! Gross." Finn said to Santana, forgetting Will and Rachel could hear him.

"They are so cute, it's disgusting," the Latina replied, causing Sherry to roll their eyes at the same time.

"But how? Are you boyfriend and girlfriend now?" Finn fished for more information.

"Let me answer this," Will whispered, when he saw Rachel opening her mouth to talk. She nodded, curious about what he would say exactly. "This is a serious relationship, Finn. We fell in love, and I understand this is a lot for you to handle right now but we make each other happy." Will smiled. "So yes, we are boyfriend and girlfriend," he said, with such joy Rachel's heart started to melt.

"Aw, Will, Rachel uttered, before kissing him soundly. "Well said." She pressed her forehead to his.

"Ew, they are kissing again!" Finn complained to Santana, who was smiling from ear to ear. She was enjoying Finn's mini freak out almost as much as knowing how loving Rachel and Will were. "This is totally messed up. And freaky." Finn was staring blankly at his feet still in disbelief.

"Well, we are very sorry to be so disturbing to you, Finn, but you called us. Thanks a lot, San," Rachel said hiding how entertaining this was. Secretly, she loved this moment. Her friend was a mastermind, with just one call she had made a tricky situation turn into a funny sketch.

"Don't be mad, Rachel. I asked her to call you," Finn defended Santana, who wasn't expecting that from him nor was the couple on the other end of the line.

"This is fun, B! It doesn't have to be awkward," Santana laughed.

"Not at all," Rachel laughed too.

"See? This is good. Anyway, we'll leave you two alone so you can do dirty things. Go get her tiger!" Santana said, ready to hang up and raising an eyebrow at Finn.

"Bye Sherry," Finn said, smiling shyly, before Santana finally ended the phone conversation and cupped his face to kiss him.

"Unbelievable," Rachel whispered to Will between laughter.

"You have to admit it was amusing, Rach," Will said, glad Rachel wasn't jealous at all about her ex-boyfriend and her best friend.

"Well, yes." Rachel smiled. "And it could have been worse. I think Finn being sleepy and probably tired helped. That being said, they had no right to wake us up." She combed his hair with her fingers. "Good morning, by the way... tiger." She giggled.

"Is that an invitation, Rach?" Will raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know, did that sound enticing at all?" She laughed. "Really? Tiger? How does that sound remotely seductive?"

"Maybe it was my wishful thinking." He closed what little distance there was between them and planted a kiss on her shoulder.

"I see..." She bit her lip. "I still can't conceive San and Finn are... what in the world are they doing? Them together is like... what do you think?" Rachel paused as Will trailed kisses down her jawline. "That tickles."

"Don't mention your ex-boyfriend while I try to 'do stuff' to you, Rach," Will laughed, while he started stroking her thighs.

"Sorry, you are absolutely right. Keep going... Tiger." Rachel laughed again while her body relaxed to his touch and warmth.

"Wake up call" had a new-found meaning for Sherry from that day on.

Breakfast was filled with laughter and caresses. Rachel and Will were too comfortable around one another, almost like they had been in a relationship for years, like they had never been student and teacher. In fact, while Rachel was drinking her coffee and they were playing footsie under the table, she realized she would never be able to see Will as her former Glee coach again. Then he smiled at her while petting her cat and nostalgia went out the window. This was better. This was life coming to its senses.

For his part, Will knew he had ceased to see Rachel as his student the second his lips landed on hers in that karaoke bar. He had been so afraid of that before, and it felt so great when his doubts vanished to be replaced by tenderness and desire that he knew a woman who caused that in him could no longer be labeled as anything else but someone he wanted to be with. And he wanted to be with Rachel; he had forgotten what that felt like. He smiled at that thought, while the kitten was purring to his welcoming touch and caught Rachel staring at him in a way he had never seen her look at Finn, Jesse or anyone before and his skin heated. Time had been their friend; the city had provided an opportunity, and romance was taking over. Every second together made it real for him.

Will and Rachel had all day ahead; this was the last twenty-four hours they had off before they started to audition, and they realized they had to meet in the middle when it came to deciding what to do. While he wanted to be actively lazy, Rachel wanted them to do all sorts of activities together. That is how, after being in a relationship for less than a week, Will and Rachel had their first fight.

"William Schuester, I will not spend the entire day on the couch. I had no idea you were so against wearing clothes, but I am certainly going out, with or without you, and I'd rather you'd come but I will not beg." Rachel crossed her arms while trying to pick an outfit. Will was next to her shaking his head. They had both tried everything to convince the other that their plan was better yet they couldn't seem to agree on anything. They had also resorted to kissing, pouting, and they had been fooling around whenever the argument got too heated, nonetheless they hadn't reached a conclusion. She wanted to go out; he wanted to stay in.

"We'll do a lot of sightseeing tomorrow, Rach. I hoped we would enjoy each other today." He took the shirt she was holding from her and threw it over her bed. "Don't wear that."

"Have you taken a look at our schedules? We will barely see one another tomorrow, Will!" She looked at her discarded shirt. "And for your information, I like that one. In fact, you don't have a say as to what I'm wearing if you are not even coming with me."

"That is exactly why I want us to stay indoors, Rach." He took her hand in his. "So we can be as close as possible today and miss each other less tomorrow." He smiled.

"Don't try to be cute. You want sex." She let go of his hand. "I want us to explore the city together while we still can! How can you not understand that?" Rachel said grabbing a pair of jeans.

"Rach, let's not fight about this." He locked eyes with her.

"I long to have an argument as much as I wish David Hasselhoff would release another single, Will." Rachel rolled her eyes. "I really want to have a nice day out and be part of something special. Why can't we have that?" Rachel was actually bothered. She couldn't wait to breathe the city in.

"Because we are already do, Rachel!" He took the jeans from her. "I don't want us to be walking frenetically around New York, when I can have a quiet day here with you." His eyes were pleading but she couldn't see it entirely. Rachel was upset. She wanted them to be the kind of couple who would have their own places and rituals, and she felt he didn't get why she wanted that so badly, why she needed to make the city their place. At the same time, he was too afraid of the exterior world. They were good together inside her apartment, they had their very own bubble and he wanted that to never change or at least to delay the process.

"There is still a lot to explore; that is why we made lists! Besides, it's not like I want you to run a marathon. I want us to just go out, like people do." Rachel was starting to read him; she saw there was fear in his not wanting to go out, and she hated to think he was concerned about them. If he wasn't willing to test what they had and interact with the city they were residing in, then they were already doomed.

"Just looking at those lists is stressing, Rach. We can't go to all those places in one day. Staying in is more appealing." Will stepped closer, dropped her jeans and cupped her face. "You can't be mad at me for wanting you." He kissed her quickly.

"Well, I can when that means you won't go out with me." Rachel was not giving in. She felt they were holding back as a couple if they couldn't go out.

"You can't if we have a good time together, and we have so far." Will tried to kiss her again but Rachel pulled away and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I am very aware of that, dear boyfriend, but I want to go out!" She stomped her feet. "I know for a fact that we will make the most of this day if we start to absorb what New York has to offer. Besides, how much sex can we have?"

"We could nap too..." Will was trying to bargain but she wasn't having it. He placed his hands around her waist. "Please?" He brought her closer hoping body contact might put her at ease.

"You honestly think after this argument I am going to be in the mood for anything? Seriously, what possessed you today?" She looked at him quizzically but he only smiled in return while his fingers were digging into her waist, she had her answer. "I think I've spoiled you, so I repeat, you need boundaries. Your hormones and territoriality will not ruin this day for me. Period."

"You are making it sound like I have a sex addiction." Will tired to lighten the mood but it was already too late. Rachel just shook her head at him. "All I want is a quiet evening before we get caught up in the rhythm of the Big Apple."

"And I don't!" Rachel walked away from him and paced next to her bed. "What are you so afraid of, Will? I know you are not ashamed of people seeing us together, so what is it?"

"I just want us to stay in."

"But why? Is that what you did in Lima? Stay in during your spare time? This is not Lima, and we are both here..." Rachel softened her tone because she believed she had solved the mystery.

"I just don't feel like going out; can you please drop it, Rachel?" Ironically, he sounded upset now.

"Ugh." Rachel leaned down and picked up his bag from the floor

"What are you doing?" Will started to fear she might actually kick him out of the apartment.

"You are either coming with me or going home alone. Either way you need to change." She tossed the bag at him forcefully. Will caught it and realized how upset she had to be to have tossed it at him the way she did. Plus, Rachel was clearly stronger than she seemed. He should have guessed she was the kind of person who throws things in the middle of a fight.

"No negotiation at all?" He was now trying to find a middle ground.

"No!" Rachel lashed out walking towards her closet again. She looked like a mad women despite the fact her claims were actually valid. "You are my boyfriend. You are not a vampire or allergic to sunlight; you don't suffer from Agoraphobia. And I want to get out, so why in the world are you saying no to me? Why are you actually choosing to be alone and forcing me to push you away like this when all I want is for us to have some fun?"

"Baby, don't be like this." Will approached her once again. "This is silly."

"What did you call me?" She turned to him, her eyes black with anger.

"'Baby'," he shrugged.

"I might be short but I am not an infant; don't you ever call me that again." She turned her back to him and picked a dress.

"Now you are just picking up a fight," Will sighed.

"I am certainly not. And does it look like I need to? My boyfriend doesn't want to go out with me; I have plenty to be upset about with that alone. Now I've been called something I abhor..." The brunette sat on her bed and placed the dress next to her.

"I'm sorry," Will said softly.

"Does that mean next time you will refrain from calling me that?" She took her nightgown off and started to get dressed. Rachel was so pissed she didn't stop to consider what exposing more skin to Will was doing to him.

"Yes." Will stared at her. She was undressing in front of him while being cold and out of his reach. That thought hit him with the weight of a dozen bricks.

"Good." She stood up and checked herself in the mirror. "And don't stare at me like that."

"You are beautiful," Will stated with all the love in the world.

"It's not going to work." Rachel put a pair of pink flats on not bothering to look at him.

"Rach..."

"Don't Rach me, Will. In fact, don't even talk to me. Sweet nothings are not going to cut it; I wanted us to have another amazing day and you blew it." Rachel left the bedroom and walked to her kitchen. Will followed her. He was ready to agree with anything and everything at this point. Not only seeing her bare skin had made him forget about his plans, her storming out like she had done so many times before had unexpectedly turned him on. He just wanted to press her body to the nearest wall and kiss her to oblivion. However, that was not an option considering what they were fighting about.

"Ok, time out young lady." Will stopped her when they were in front of the sink. She turned to look at him questioningly.

"Young lady? Do I need to remind you I am no longer your student?" She turned her back on him again and took a glass from the cabinet. "Great, now I'm thirsty. You made me thirsty." She said knowing he would get what she meant. "You are an idiot."

"I'm sorry." He paused and turned the faucet on. "For everything." Rachel filled her glass and started to drink the water. "I will never call you baby or young lady again, and I would love to go wherever you want as long as we have a reasonable plan and we can put this behind us." He hugged her from behind and stroked her arm up and down.

"We can do that," she nodded, turning the faucet off and closing her eyes. His caress was soothing, his tone was filled with tenderness and she hated the sadness the petty argument had caused her to experience. She wasn't ready to face him yet; she knew she had overreacted a little and she was very aware he was giving in because he couldn't stand to fight either. Rachel was feeling the tears forming in her eyes and was trying to fight them. She cared too much about him, about them; a fight so soon was a devastating concept to grasp.

"Then we can maybe go to Central Park and be lazy there?" Will smiled, feeling she was open to bargain. "Does that sound like a plan?" he whispered to her ear and then rested his chin on her shoulder waiting for an answer. He still needed her to turn and make sure she wasn't still upset; he needed to hear her voice. The fact that Rachel was not pulling away was a good sign but he was starting to feel really remorseful about what had just happened. After all, she wasn't asking for much and she had given him everything.

"Yes, but we will take tons of pictures." Rachel smiled and put her glass on the sink. "You promised." She turned to him, her eyes bright from the tears she hadn't cried. Will knew instantly that he could have made her cry and felt guilty about it. He had seen her tear up many times in the past, most of them he couldn't reassure her and now he was the one causing her momentary pain. Because he wanted her too much... sure, the argument was dumb, but he couldn't stand the thought of them being fragile as a couple at this stage. He thought about a term that was a magic word when it came to Rachel.

"All right, you WIN," he emphasized. "I'll go change." Will kissed her on the cheek, thinking that simple demonstration of affection combined with the word "win" might make her feel better. He didn't want to mention the fact she was on the verge of tears, that would stress her, and they had had enough.

"Wait." Rachel grabbed his wrist. "I win?" She smiled widely.

"You win," he said softly running his free hand down her cheek until both breathed a sigh that broke the tension around them.

"I win!" She grinned and kissed him. "I'm sorry too. Let's not do that again."

"I couldn't agree more." Will started to feel relieved. Their first argument was over. "Now I'll put some clothes on." He said slapping her butt and causing her to laugh. Then he started to walk to her bedroom.

"Will?" she said making him stop where he was."You really don't like the first shirt I chose?" Rachel asked, and it was a sign things were fine. She was letting him in again.

"I do. I was completely against clothes at the moment. It wasn't your shirt's fault." He started to walk again. "I like the dress better, though."

"Perfect, and one more thing." Rachel walked behind him.

"Yes?" He opened his bag and looked at her.

"I'm sorry if I overreacted. And I'm sorry I called you an idiot even if you deserved it. I love you." She offered him a warm smile.

"I love you too." He put his pants on without taking his eyes away from her.

"You will not regret this. We are going to have so much fun! I wonder if we'll be able to spot squirrels; they are extremely cute." Both shared a laugh at that as Will buttoned his shirt. "Let me help with that." Rachel neared him and fixed his collar. "All done."

She smiled and looked at their reflection on the mirror. "We make a really good-looking couple," Rachel nodded.

"You are gorgeous." Will took her hand and started to walk towards the door.

"Our fans will be so jealous!" Rachel said before crossing the door herself. "We will be like Brangelina, Broadway style!" She smiled swinging their hands, and there it was, that spark in her eyes, happiness showing once again in spite of the lingering concerns their little fight brought to the surface.

Their argument seemed to be long forgotten by the time they locked the door.

Will regretted that he ever opposed going out. The day was beautiful; the rhythm of the city was harmonious; the sight before his eyes, breathtaking; and the woman tightening her grip on his hand was making him feel like dancing while walking fast and trying to adapt to her rapid pace. Just walking with Rachel was giving him a natural high, he never knew his life lacked. And this was just the beginning. This was too simple to be that amazing. As she was humming a tune from "Next to Normal," he questioned why he had never let her get to him this way before. Even that evening, his walls had been up. He had been reluctant to going out because he felt safe in the confinement of her apartment. And that was the routine he had fell into his whole life. Rachel had been right to call him out on that; there was no reason for them to hide from the world and he shouldn't just stick to what was comfortable. He was trying to make some sense of everything and he still wasn't sure what scared him so much; worse, he couldn't understand how big of a ghost he was fighting if he had risked having an argument with Rachel just to stay indoors. He made the silent vow to her and to himself to start to get rid of the nonsensical barriers around him. Otherwise, he was going to hurt her.

Rachel saw Will lost in thought and let him have that moment. She wanted to know exactly what he was thinking about. There were still many questions in her mind, questions she wanted to ask him, but she wasn't going to rush or put him on the spot. He was guarded, she was aware, so with time she would try to bring his walls down. She sensed he would let her. At the moment, all she could manage to do was just hold his hand strongly and remind him she was there, and most importantly, that she wanted to be there with him.

A sigh escaped their lips simultaneously as they entered Central Park, a green oasis in the city. A vast extension of land offering them countless things to do; a place they had been marveled with together in the plane while watching that movie sharing her pink headphones. It was somewhat poetic that the first place they were visiting as an official couple was the same that they had contemplated together, when they were still up in the air. Central Park had a lot of history and now they felt they were part of it, even better, they were making the novel place part of theirs.

Will pointed at a bench under a tree where they could sit and give their feet a rest from all the walking. Rachel smiled at him as they made their way there. She was already imagining a scene with them kissing in that bench under that tree. This had been the perfect plan before they started to audition.

They sat there for almost an hour and talked about all things in life, from Broadway to Hershey's chocolate; everything was an interesting topic of discussion. They were relaxed and just happy to be there together. Will loved the pictures they had taken so far and they had posed for a tourist that was kind enough to capture them kissing under the tree like Rachel had envisioned. This quiet adventure was simply sublime.

As they were nearing a coffee cart, Rachel and Will heard music being played nearby. They ordered their beverages quickly and decided to follow the flow of people in order to find where the melody came from. Finally they saw a multitude forming a circle around a performer. Rachel sneaked between the crowd and was able to find a place close to the musician for them to stand. Her height and small build came in handy in those type of situations, but that wasn't all, they worked as a team, she would sneak and he would walk close to her, holding her hand, to make sure to protect her. Once they stood in front of the singer they felt proud of being able to get to be standing in that "front row."

Rachel inspected the performer closely. The way he was sitting on that bench, how he was holding the guitar with confidence. It looked like had been doing this for a while, and she wondered if he was one of the permanent residents of the artistic movement in Central Park. That overwhelmed her, all the talent on the streets... The song started and Will wrapped his arms around her. They were like this musician: hopefuls. Performers eager to just perform. Suddenly the lyrics stabbed both Will and Rachel.

_The bricks of my wall are dark and weak_

_It's where I hide, when it's security I seek_

_I'm confined within them, but I yearn to be free_

_Breaking down the barriers_

_Would allow my heart to be_

The voice of the singer was getting through to them; he wasn't just a songwriter, he sounded more like a poet, and if Rachel's paranoia was to start at that particular moment, she would have thought he was singing about them.

_Who's gonna break it all down?_

_And smash on through_

_Try to get on the inside_

_Could it be you?_

Will smiled at Rachel as the chorus ended. She was the answer to the question in the lyrics. The problem was there were still bricks around. Bricks they needed to use in order to build something together instead of protecting themselves from the world, the way at least he knew he had.

_The endless supply of bricks that I keep within_

_Can replace the ones that are old and thin_

_Maybe just one brick at a time, to let me see_

_All the fears and worries, that always frighten me_

Rachel pressed her back to Will. Giving in to his embrace. Her knees were getting weak as she thought about how the song was describing the way she felt, especially after the argument that had taken place hours earlier. She was now worried about her and Will; they still had a lot of things to sort out, probably more him than her.

_Who will be the one, to shatter my soul's construction?_

_Or will they chip away, making a gradual reduction?_

_For now the wall stays, I stand pressed against full of fear_

_Always listening, for someone coming near_

The couple was holding their breath; the song felt too intimate, too close to home, to their hearts, and to them. It had been unexpected to have stumbled onto the performance; then again, the moment was perfect. Music had always spoken to them. On this particular day they needed that.

_The bricks of the wall are crumbling down_

_Piece by piece_

The song ended and people started clapping but for Will and Rachel the world stood still for a few seconds. Happenstance had brought them here. Destiny had put this musician in their way, and art was talking about life the way it should. It was amazing how a random song had touched them so deeply. How an unknown person had put into lyrics exactly what they were feeling. A stranger and an unrepeatable performance made them both feel as human and fragile as they had never felt and they were glad they had been there together to share that state of amazement. They didn't know it by then but that particular memory would be played on repeat in their heads for years to come. What they did know was how much they both wanted and NEEDED their relationship to work. Sometimes it would take just that: them and a song, other times they would have to fight and to deal with each other's walls. That was probably going to be the biggest challenge ahead.

They kissed while the crowd was waiting for the next song, a silent promise lingered in the air: they would be patient; they would be careful with the other's heart, and they would use their bricks differently. After all, deep inside, they were both scared and were more capable of reassuring one another than themselves.

Rachel and Will had found their song. When they weren't looking. For free. In Central Park.

A.N.: Here is the link to the song "Bricks" written and performed by a very talented friend of mine, Shawn Deena, who was kind enough to let me use this song, which actually inspired this story. I hope you enjoy it. http : / twitrax . com / s / w1221t (take out the spaces for the link)


	10. Chapter 10

"**Bricks"**

**CHAPTER X:**

The day had come; Rachel and Will were finally going to audition. Strategically, they shouldn't have spent the previous night together since that meant an early rise so they could have breakfast together and he could go home to get ready; however, after the argument they had and their day at Central Park, Will and Rachel were unable to part. Something inside was screaming them not to let go for the night or ever...

He needed to make sure everything was perfectly fine between them while she simply couldn't imagine not sleeping in his arms. During their walk back from Central Park to her apartment, there was no question about it, he wouldn't leave. He didn't have to, she didn't want him to, and they both were on the same page: this wasn't going to be a replica of the bus situation they had been through years ago. They were a team now, and they needed to be together, sacrificing a few hours of sleep meant nothing when the upside was not being alone on a critical night. If there was a way to build a future together, this was it.

In the short period of time they had been together, their relationship had became astonishingly intense even given the fact they hadn't really had their official first date yet. The connection they shared was superlatively different to any bond they had previously had with other people, not even considering the relationships that had been too much too soon.

In Will's case, Terri had been his high school sweetheart, the one girl he fell for and swore to marry one day when he still had no idea who he was. The one who had been so aggressive and had made him put his dreams in a drawer throughout the rise and fall of their relationship. On the other hand, Rachel had made those infamous kitten calendars for her and Finn, and she had wore a necklace with his name. She had obsessed over him to the extent that she accepted his back and forth, his never-ending confusion and sometimes, even his neglect. Rachel and Will had both surrendered themselves before and had promised not to make the same mistake; still here they were, experiencing puppy love and uncensored passion, unable to imagine anyone else to say good night and good morning. This was love of the dangerous king and they knew it. The difference between what they had and their prior involvement with Finn and Terri was that they got lost in those relationships while this one seemed to highlight who they really were.

The thought of becoming emotionally dependent had crossed their minds, yet they weren't afraid; old wounds didn't open; alerts didn't completely go off. This wasn't a toxic bond. To the contrary, Will and Rachel had never felt healthier. Whilst walking hand in hand smiling at one another silently, Will and Rachel realized they had been and felt alone for the longest time, and what was scary was that they had gotten used to that, but now they had one another; they couldn't really go back. Surprisingly enough, neither of them felt the other was invading them, to the contrary, they couldn't get enough, they couldn't share enough, and they seemed to want more. Still, their honeymoon period was about to come to an end once their schedules became more hectic.

As excited as Rachel was about auditioning, the truth was she was nervous, and so far, Will was the only person who could put her at ease. He had always been the person telling her she could do it, in spite of the distance between them when he was her teacher. He had been her rock, her constant, and she was thankful for that. But now he had a higher rank in her life; she wanted him with her, not only because he was going to reassure her and because him being mature could come in handy, but also because this time around she had the opportunity to be the one helping him grow as well. They were on equal ground when it came to auditions.

For his part, Will was confident he would do his best to impress directors. Truthfully, he was more worried about how Rachel would take rejection. He knew he could handle it himself; he was ready for it. In fact, Terri and Emma had schooled him when it came being denied something. But Will couldn't stand to think about anyone telling Rachel she wasn't right for something. When it came to him, she was perfect for anything; she could do it all, yet he knew how show business worked. He also knew how much she had struggled to belong somewhere and how big her dreams were. He could never discourage her but others would. He couldn't look at the prospect with naïve eyes so he made sure to pack a bottle of water for her. Sadly, that's all he could do.

Another concern in his mind was actually disappointing Rachel. She expected a lot from him; she wanted him to succeed, to become what he always should have been, what he owed himself to be and that scared and inspired him on equal measure. Terri had benefited from him being weak and Emma had dragged him down as well, but with Rachel by his side, this was a completely different ball game. For the first time in his life, he wasn't in a codependent, manipulative relationship. That alone felt like a huge step towards growing up and developing not only as a person but also as a performer.

Rachel was a risk-taker. She didn't want him just to concede; she actually wanted Will to reach his full potential, and that very thought made Will smile. His girlfriend was changing him in the best way possible. She was giving him the extra push no one ever bothered to provide. He thought maybe no one had loved him enough to do that, or maybe, just maybe, that was another sign of how compatible they were. She would challenge him every step of the way while he was going to protect her and to prevent her from crashing and burning. Yes, that was the plan, a pretty damn good one.

They decided to have breakfast at the café near Rachel's apartment, which was a pleasant surprise for her. Obviously, Will had taken their argument to heart, which confirmed what she already knew: he took her and their relationship seriously. It was also a nice way to kick start a key day for the both of them. They finished their coffee and the vegan cheesecake they had shared, and he walked her to her door, where they exchanged hugs, kisses and "break a legs" next to the lady that was still trying to teach her pigeon Spanish. Then she proceeded to change while doing vocal exercises, while Will walked to his place ginning and whistling. He felt like a new chapter in life was starting, and it had began with a kiss that tasted like cheesecake made with tofu and soy milk. A kiss that also had a hint of hope and unmeasurable love.

Rachel had read everything there was written about auditioning. She was born ready; she was fully talented; she had her bag with everything she could possibly need and more and above all things, she couldn't wait to start. That was exactly the problem: time. The wait was always three times more than it should be, the lines were too long, the places too crowded and noisy. It felt like McKinley High. The stares, the countless girls rolling their eyes and chewing chewing gum ... the whispers about her nose ... ok, she might have made that up but she was sure people were talking about her. She took a couple of deep breaths and just hummed her song in her head. Nothing was going to make her lose focus.

In a different part of the city, Will was filling a form. The stupid "divorced" box had been checked and he was seriously asking himself why producers needed to know that piece of information. He was happily divorced, yet he didn't want to remember he had been married or who he had been married to. For the former Glee coach, a divorce meant failure, thinking about that wasn't helpful in the slightest. He finished with his form and smiled as he realized he was wondering if Rachel had signed hers with gold stars.

Rachel heard the girl behind her laugh as soon as she pasted her gold star. "She's clueless," she told herself before proceeding to take her iPod from her purse. Music surely can tame beasts, but it could also bury the sounds idiots make. She went carefully through her playlists and decided on one she and Will had come with together: "The many songs of Sherry." Recalling how they had made a case for every track they had added to the quintessential list while having breakfast on his couch made her forget her nerves.

The time for her to audition came eventually. She wasn't discouraged after seeing so many girls her age leave the room crying, to the contrary, she felt she had a chance. Rachel Berry was born and raised in Lima, Ohio, had been slushied for years, even egged, had her picture in the yearbook defaced; she could take whatever these people could throw at her. She smiled her mega watt smile and entered the room. It was showtime. Much to her displeasure, her audition was uneventful. She introduced herself, had been asked a few questions about her background and then she performed her song. That was it. The producer, the casting director and the assistant had poker faces throughout her eight minutes and forty-five seconds there. None of them made nasty remarks but they didn't compliment her either. There was no feedback whatsoever, which left her feeling a mixture of emptiness and outrage. Rachel knew those people had seen many performers that day and were probably tired, still she couldn't help feel they were rude to her. No standing ovation, no clapping, no smiles. She felt irrelevant, like she had made no impact, good or bad on them. That was tough on her. Feeling forgettable was the worst that could happen to her; however, she had to carry on. All the heads of the casting departments couldn't be morons, right?

It was around noon and Rachel had attended to a total of four auditions. Only one of them had left her feeling some amount of hope. Other than that, she had just felt stared at and profoundly confused as to how the process really worked. As she walked down the street, Rachel felt very lonely. Her efforts to be memorable and the emotional struggle the auditions presented had drained her. Suddenly she started to think about Shelby and what she might have gone through while auditioning. If only she could ask her biological mother about her experience... Did she walk those same streets in hopes someone would see her potential? Was she afraid there would always be someone better? Did she feel exposed as well? Did the poker faces mean anything at all? Why couldn't she share that with her daughter? The one she had abandoned twice... Thinking about Shelby was unexpected and painful. Rachel felt thirsty, so she opened her bag and reached for her bottle; that's when she saw a pink post it attached to it. She grabbed it and proceeded to read the simple lines meant for her and only her to see.

"_Knock them dead, Rach._

_I love you._

_W"_

Rachel started to tear up. She might be feeling all alone at the time, but she wasn't. She had Will now. He believed in her. He loved her. They were going through the same ruthless process at the same time, so he could understand her better than anyone. She stopped walking at a corner and checked her phone. She had stored his schedule and was curious if there was a chance they were near each other.

Will replied to her text in a nanosecond. If he took a taxi, he could be where she was in ten minutes, and they would be able to enjoy a quiet meal. On a second thought, not a quiet one, but still one they could share.

They met in the middle, in front of a modest restaurant, where they hugged and kissed as if they hadn't seen each other in a decade. This was the first time they both had actually felt the city was filled with strangers, and they couldn't be happier to have the chance to be together, even if it was only for an hour. Every second of that embrace was making up for the hours waiting in line and the huge amount of collective disappointment they were feeling.

They talked about their days so far while they ate their respective salads. Both were already tired, their feet hurt from walking and standing for long periods of time and their spirits were wounded, but they just kept smiling at one another, holding hands between bites. For any passerby, they looked like a happy couple. There was no indication of what had started as a terrible day of auditions. There was something amazing going on between them. The electricity they kept feeling whenever their bodies brushed, the way they made each other feel. The devotion between them ... they felt so strongly about their connection, were so absorbed by the other's voice and loving eyes that the weight on their shoulders lightened momentarily.

Will was scanning the dessert menu when Rachel chose to drop one of her many questions on him.

"I need to ask you something," she said feeling small and a bit inappropriate. "Don't take this the wrong way but why did my ... Shelby have your number?" Rachel said casting her eyes downwards. Will sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"We exchanged numbers." He was aware that wasn't enough information, but he didn't want to drop a bomb on Rachel, not on this of all days.

"She asked for YOUR number? When? Did she ... you think she was interested in you?" Rachel didn't really want to hear the answer, yet it wouldn't shock her completely "like mother, like daughter" she thought in advance.

"I never told you this but when you first started dating Jesse, I suspected he had ulterior motives." He paused when the waitress came to the table and pointed out for her the dessert he had chosen for them to share: the now ritual fruit salad. "I talked to her to make sure he wasn't playing with you." Will was trying to avoid at all costs telling her the whole story. He would tell her everything, but he wanted to wait until she was done auditioning for the day, or maybe for the year.

"You did that? Aw, Will!" She kissed him soundly. "I thought you couldn't be any more perfect..." She smiled as Will sighed. "Yet that doesn't explain her having your number." Rachel sensed there was more to it and Will knew she had figured out there was something he wasn't telling her. He took both of her hands in his.

"Remember how confused I was when I had just gotten a divorce?" he asked thinking he should have picked a dessert with dark chocolate. There was no way telling Rachel the truth wouldn't cause some damage.

"Yes. What are you trying to tell me?" She pulled away slightly, fearing the worst.

"Well, I was feeling lonely and she and I ... It's not what you think. It sounds worse than it was. And just for the record, I swear at the time I didn't know she was ... related to you."

"Related to you" sounded so cold to Rachel but he couldn't call Shelby her mother. Still, the brunette was scared of what she hadn't heard him say.

"Will! You are freaking me out! Please tell me you didn't sleep with her." Rachel's eyes were pleading. She felt she would kill someone if her mom and her now boyfriend had been ... involved. Then she would die of emotional pain.

"I didn't sleep with her." Rachel let go the breath she was holding and intertwined her fingers with his.

"That's a relief." She closed her eyes tight. She couldn't have handled it if he had said otherwise.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't know. We did kiss, Rach."

"And I will pretend I didn't hear that last bit of information," she said, snuggling into him in the booth they were in. A month ago, she would have thrown a fit if she knew Will and Shelby had kissed but now it seemed meaningless and she knew he loved her. She couldn't punish him for something he had done before they were together. Neither could she risk what they had over a make out session that was in the past. On a side note, she felt more possessive than ever towards him and more questions around Shelby surfaced. She had been more interested in the people around her daughter than in her own daughter: Beth, Jesse,Will.

"Feel free to forget it ever happened." Will said content with how mature Rachel's reaction had been. "I should also tell you that wasn't the only time I talked to her. When I found out who she was I asked her to be careful with your feelings. I wish she ... things would have turned out differently."

"I can't believe I never knew about this ... you ... I don't think anyone has cared about me enough to go those lengths." It was a confession, a realization and a thought said out loud.

"I couldn't stomach the thought of her hurting you. Or anyone else for that matter. But I couldn't tell you because I was afraid you would resent me for meddling. I didn't approach her because I thought of you as weak, I just ... had to look after you and that was the only thing I could come up with." He tried to read her eyes. This had to be too much on her.

"You ... I love you," she said, almost crying. Rachel was completely overwhelmed. She couldn't believe how deep Will's feelings for her had been back then, and imagining him, the person who clearly had loved her the most, talking to the one who should have and failed at it was causing her a mixture of emotions. She started to tremble a little.

"I love you too, sweetheart," he cradled her in his arms. His own heart was starting to shatter, feeling how shaken she was. "You are the strongest person I know and you don't deserve to suffer because of this. She's in the past. I'm here," he whispered sweetly. Even though those words were tender, true and reassuring, Rachel did in fact start to cry. She couldn't help it, too many potent emotions were drowning her.

"Please don't break my heart, Will. I never meant to need you this much but ... I do, and..." Rachel's voice broke.

"Shhh." He kissed the top of her head. "Rach, in case you haven't noticed, I'm in love with you. I will never do anything to intentionally hurt you." He wiped away her tears. "Look at me, please." Rachel tried to regulate her breathing and did as he asked. They locked eyes and saw each other hurting. "I don't know if I deserve you, or what I did to deserve you, but she doesn't. And I love you and need you too. I need you more than you need me." Rachel couldn't reply, she was focus on trying to stop crying. "We are together now. You and I, and that's what matters. We are team Sherry, remember?" Finally she smiled and he breathed.

"Damn right." Rachel nodded.

"We are going to be ok. I promise." Will hugged her tightly. He wished there was more he could do to clear her mind and make the pain go away. He had been worried about her facing rejection but he had miscalculated; she had felt rejected by her mother all her life. The chances of that changing were slim to none.

"You shouldn't promise such a thing, but I believe you anyway. Thank you, boyfriend." Her hands were grasping his shirt tightly. Will was her hiding place. At this point she had no idea how she was going to be able to get on with her day without him.

"I hate to see you sad, Rach." He stated the obvious, as he once again resented Shelby. He could never really protect Rachel from her mother's abandonment.

"I know. I'm sorry I ruined your day." Rachel sounded like a wounded animal in the forest. She was trying but she couldn't hide how affected she was.

"You don't have to apologize. I should have told you sooner and you didn't ruin my day." He brushed her hair away from her face.

"You were trying to protect me." She shrugged. "By the way, did you call me 'sweetheart' earlier?"

"Uh ... I think so. Is there something wrong? You hate 'baby' AND 'sweetheart'?" Will was frightened she might throw something at him again.

"No, I like it." She kissed him. "And for your information, you do deserve me. If I hear you doubt yourself again, we will have a problem." She smiled running her hand down his face.

"Fine, but promise me you won't let her get to you again. I got you, okay?" He kissed her hand.

"Why are you so perfect?" Rachel smiled.

"I don't know. I've been Rachel Berried, maybe that's why." Will kissed her hoping he was helping to erase her pain.

"These kisses are helping your case." Rachel raised an eyebrow playfully.

Will tired to convinced her to cut the day short several times but he had no luck. He thought she was in no shape to keep auditioning – she was too emotional – but she argued her emotions could be helpful, so he gave in. He really wanted to take Rachel home and do some soothing, but she was adamant that she wouldn't be the reason for Will stopping his auditioning, and even reminded him he was the one asking her not to let Shelby affect her. Will was proud of her, he knew there was a lot going on in her mind, but she sucked it up. He left for his next casting, reminding her she could just text the words and they would retreat to either apartment. She thanked him with a kiss and repeated that she was fine. Will was still worried about her, however, he left for his audition thinking "that's my girl."

Almost six and a half hours later, after Will made it home, Rachel knocked on his door. She looked like a bus had drove over her. Her hair was messy, she was pale and she had taken her shoes off because her feet were swollen. He wanted to ask about the rest of her day but opted against it, she would start talking any time soon, he thought. Instead, all she did was kiss him and state one very true thing:

"We need a nap." With that she dropped her bag and shoes on the floor and wrapped her arms around Will's neck.

"I was about to but I was waiting to hear from you." Will said before lifting Rachel up and carrying her to the bedroom. They were in complete synchrony.

"My timing, as always, is perfect then." Rachel smiled as he put her down in front of his bed. "I'm going to wash my face first though. I've had make up on all day," she said and entered his bathroom closing the door behind her.

Will took his clothes off and laid between the sheets waiting for her. She must have been really tired not to want to talk about the day. When she emerged from the bathroom, his jaw dropped. She had changed into a pink nightgown, he had forgotten she had left in his bathroom. Clothing at his place had been so optional she had never wore it in front of him.

"What?" Rachel said while she covered herself with the sheets.

"You look like a fantasy," he replied, spooning with her.

"That's the point." She took his hand and kissed it. "What a day, huh? I never thought the waiting would be so brutal." Finally she started to talk.

"I know, especially for an old man like me. You are still young," he said rubbing her arm up and down. Rachel laughed at his words; he sure knew how to relax her.

"Don't be silly, you are in great shape. I can certify that." She smiled. "But that is beside the point. How come they don't have a better system? Haven't casting directors heard of assigning turns? I mean..." Rachel paused as she felt a familiar warmth against her lower back. "Oh my Jewish God, Will! How...?"

"You are doing this to me," Will said as he kissed the place between her shoulder blades.

"Hmmm, that feels so good. If I wasn't this tired..."

"Shhh..." His hands flew to her legs. Her soft warm skin reacted to him as goosebumps started to form in anticipation of his next move. He caressed her ass and slowly took her panties down and off.

"Will, I can't possibly ... but I want to ... let me rest for twenty minutes. After a power nap we can..." She stopped talking to inhale sharply as he rubbed her clit slowly.

"You don't have to do a thing, just feel." Will's tone was so sensual her mind was spinning instantly. He stroked her gently with one hand as the other was flat on her abdomen holding her still.

"But this ... you are tired too ... we ..." He slid a finger inside her, stopping her from talking further.

"You are so sexy, Rach ... so beautiful, I can't ... I can't get enough of you." Will's voice was hoarse and deep now. Rachel closed her eyes and slid her own hand down his boxers.

"Me neither. But..." Once again he blocked her speech as another finger joined the first.

"You have no idea what you do to me," he whispered to her ear.

"I think I do," she gasped, stroking him at the same pace he had chosen with her. "More," she moaned. Starting to feel light-headed, Will sped up his movements and so did she until both were screaming the other's name. Out of breath, Rachel turned to Will and cuddled against his chest. They were both smiling and starting to get sleepy.

"Your hands are just so talented; you are gifted." She planted a kiss on his chest and closed her eyes, and he wrapped his arms around her.

"So are you. I love touching you." Will murmured into her hair while he traced idle patterns on her collarbone, moving his hand dangerously close to her breasts.

"It shows." Rachel smiled still with her eyes closed. Once again he was igniting her body, with the slightest touch of his fingertips and she could anticipate what he was going to do next. "But if you keep touching me like this, I'm going to want more and then we'll never sleep and..." Her body arched without permission as Will cupped her breast. "You are blocking my train of thought."

"Sweetheart you need to relax in order to sleep. Let me help," Will said innocently. For someone who had just referred to himself as old, he sure had a lot of hormones out of control.

"Will..." She opened her eyes and placed her hand over his. She wasn't completely sure what she wanted any more, though. "You took the edge off already. Masterfully, I might add."

"I'll tell you what we are going to do. First let me take care of you one more time." He fondled her other breast. "Then we nap for at least two hours. After that, we are going to order in and eat in bed." Rachel's body was melting into his touch, she laid on her back granting him full access to her cleavage. "Then I will make love to you like I've wanted to all day. And after that, we are taking a bath. How does that sound?"

"I like you taking control like this." She nodded as he kissed her neck. He locked eyes with her, Will had to check she was fine. He wanted her to feel loved before she could sleep. Secretly, he wanted her not to have nightmares that involved Shelby. He wanted her to dream about him, or at least to be the latest thought on her mind. Therefore he needed her to focus on him and nothing else.

"I want to pamper you." He trailed kisses down her stomach while parting her legs.

"I missed you today. Terribly. I thought about you so much..." Rachel rubbed his shoulders in circular motion.

"Tell me more." Will said, before parting her folds and licking her slowly.

"Just don't stop." Rachel couldn't say anything else. In fact, she didn't want to talk about anything else. She was afraid she couldn't. Will was clouding her mind with raw desire.

"I won't," He said before licking her once more, this time applying some pressure. "Just feel me and keep talking, sweetheart. I want to hear your beautiful voice," Will said and resumed his ministrations.

"You were ... hmmm..." She arched her body in pleasure. Rachel felt brain-dead.

"I was...?" He stopped and looked at her, while he rubbed her clit with his index finger.

"Are... Will this is not fair!" Rachel complained, he had made her start to say something she didn't mean to blurt out.

"I am what?" He kissed the inside of her thigh smiling.

"Huh?" Rachel lost her train of thought completely.

"You were going to say something." He licked her again trying to make her end her original sentence.

"I forgot, you are clouding my memor..." He bit her clit gently making her hips soar. "Hmmm, Will!"

"Your voice gets pitchy when you lie. Tell me." He was sweet and demanding at the same time.

"How did you...? I don't think I can have... a conversation right now." Rachel opened her eyes and then narrowed them at him. Will Schuester, her boyfriend not only had noticed how her pitch altered when she tried to hide something, he was also challenging her and he had the upper hand. Finger, tongue, whatever.

"Please. I'll make it worth your while." Will darted his tongue in and out of her, this was a challenge he would win.

"You were the first to actually give me an orgasm." Her confession made Will's heart jump. He was proud, thrilled and turned on, and he couldn't restrain himself any longer, he worked her with his tongue and finger, happy to see her body react to him. Content with what her words were making him do Rachel decided to keep talking. There were two winners to this challenge. "No one has ever touched me like this. You make me feel I'm crawling out of my... skin." Rachel was able to say before she came undone. "You are trying to kill me," she stated while he crawled next to her.

"Mhm. Softly." Will smiled proudly before kissing her.

"I hope you know CPR." Rachel said between kisses.

"I do, I got you," he replied pulling her closer to him.

"Where did you come from? Planet Cosmopolitan?" Rachel laughed and closed her eyes. Her boyfriend wanted her to relax. Well, mission accomplished.

"I told you, this is what you do to me ... I want you all the time." Will kissed her once again.

"I love you so much. This is crazy but I do." Rachel said in a lower tone.

"Is it so crazy, Rach? You have always meant a lot to me and now..." He hugged her strongly. "Now you mean everything."

"Yes, but, falling in love with you happened so fast ... and this, this sexual chemistry ... I never thought such thing was real if I'm being honest. But wow."

"It's very real." Will said closing his eyes as well

"I can see that. I'm happy it is." She laughs. "I mean we have a sex life! I never had a sex life really." Rachel said making Will laugh too while he covered both of them with the sheets.

"We have a lot of catching up to do then," he smiled. What he had learned had given him the biggest ego boost he had had in ages. "In two hours. Let's get some rest now." He kissed her forehead.

"Done." Rachel smiled. "Do you really know CPR?"

"Yes," Will said, starting to drift off.

"Then you are forever cast as the male lead in my life." Rachel stated as her body relaxed in his embrace.

"Sleep tight, my leading lady." Will kissed her shoulder before they both fell asleep.

As it turned out, the roles that mattered the most were already theirs.


	11. Chapter 11

"**Bricks"**

**Chapter XI**

"There is a line, Hudson, pick already! This is embarrassing," Santana said impatiently at the coffee shop while Finn looked dumbly at the menu.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I should just go with hot chocolate?" Finn shrugged.

"You are not twelve; you need something stronger, more manly. Now I get why sometimes you are so..." she paused, "sleepy." The temperamental Latina nodded and looked at the already tired employee with determination. "He's having coffee, the Indian blend, please. No milk. He needs to wake the fuck up."

"Is it good?" Finn asked Santana, unwilling to choose his own beverage and upsetting her by default. He didn't know much about women and relationships but he had learned not to contradict the very dominant Miss Lopez.

"It will rearrange your digestive system. It's THAT good." She replied smiling while taking their order.

"Awesome." He smiled innocently. After all this time he had no clue how to read Santana, not even when she was blatant about what she was doing. In this case, torturing him via breakfast to go. On the other hand, not only was Finn a naturally, submissive person, he had no ability to second guess anyone's intentions when it came to him. Santana and Rachel had once agreed he was the epitome of a good old momma's boy.

"Uh-oh. Finn, Rachel's parental units at two o'clock and they are coming our way. Just follow my lead, ok? They don't know about Sherry, and I think they would flip if you blurt out that we talked to them while their precious princess was playing the role of little spoon while The Schuester was a happy horny big spoon. Try not to talk or do so without saying anything at all, got it?" Santana was serious but Finn laughed at her words. The Latina should actually consider a career in stand up comedy, which, of course, Rachel had suggested time and time again.

"Little spoon..." He laughed. "You are funny, but, ew, San! Don't make me think about them that way." Finn sipped his coffee like it was hot chocolate and once he could taste it he automatically scrunched his face in complete disgust, the Indian blend was the very definition of STRONG.

"Don't be a baby, would you?" She laughed while waving at the Richard and Robert Berry, who were approaching them. "This will teach you not to be a conformist in life." Santana smiled with an air of triumph. She loved training Finn and in her head she was teaching him how to be a real men, even if he was completely unaware about that little meaningful detail.

"This Indonesian coffee tastes like gasoline and pepper. I would know, one time the guys pranked me..." Finn said feeling his tongue burning and as his stomach started to turn. Santana was just smiling about the prank. She would have loved to have been the brains behind it.

"Indian, and zip it! They are almost here!" Rachel's BFF elbowed her maybe boyfriend. "Berry dads! What a surprise to see you!"

"Hello, Santana, Finn. Long time no see." Richard said joyfully, whilst staring at Finn's expression, which was reflecting with accuracy his revolt at the hot beverage he had tasted mere seconds ago.

"Are you having a good day? We just came back from our trip to Vegas and there was no coffee at home" Robert greeted them.

"We are having a blast, yes. I have the day off and Finn's shift starts in a couple of hours, so I decided he needs to start drinking coffee. I'm Vin Diesel-ing the hell out of him. Isn't that hot?" Santana grinned.

"That sounds quite exiting, Santana." Richard smiled, he had a soft spot for his daughter's friend.

"That makes you that Michelle chick." Finn giggled thinking about the wallpaper on his computer.

"Nope, Finn. She's way trashier than I am, and what is that guys find so attractive about her? I'm into girls too and she doesn't take my breath away." Santana thought out loud.

"I'm afraid we wouldn't know how to answer that." Robert said amused.

"I hope you had fun at Vegas, you sure go there often." Santana went back to their original topic of conversation.

"For Rachel the perfect place in this world is New York, for us it's Vegas. We can't get enough of it, oh, and the new shows! You would enjoy their raunchy style. I suggest you go some time, dear." Richard replied holding his husband's hand. "Our Honeymoon was in Vegas."

"That's like... weird and cool." Finn interjected.

"It's not for everyone, I agree." Robert smiled. "So are you two..."

"Together? Well, we kinda are, whatever, but we are not wearing labels. We are just having fun." Santana explained casually while Finn stared at the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing he had ever laid his eyes on. A conversation about relationships was not helping him keep the secret locked.

"Have you talked to Rachel? We have called her on several occasions but we haven't been successful trying to reach her." Robert wasn't worried; he was fishing. The truth was they hadn't call her much but they had texted and Rachel hadn't said much of anything, which her dads had cataloged as suspicious behavior.

"Maybe... maybe she lost her phone. Yes, that! That explains it and makes PERFECT sense. New York is so big she lost it. And that is why she can't talk to you guys." Finn said nervously. The Berry dads exchanged a look. They could smell fear and nervousness in their daughter's ex-boyfriend.

"We've talked. She has been very, very busy; you know how she is." Santana looked at Finn. "She hasn't lost her phone."

"That is our Rachel." Richard smiled proudly. "I bet she's tired. Does she sound happy at least?"

"Yes, she's very tired, like dead tired. You should never call her in the morning or, you know, at night." Finn tried to help but by the look on Santana's face he realized he was making everything worse. "Unless you want to make her mad and stuff." He tried to cover how suspicious he was sounding.

"No one wants that. We love our baby girl to pieces but she's intense." Richard laughed.

"B is doing great and she's adapting; she's making me proud. Don't tell her I said this because I hate inflating her giant ego, but I miss her and her crazy." Santana said smiling, she didn't admit her feelings often.

"We do too. And we know without a single shed of doubt that Rachel is going to be all right. We are preoccupied about her being alone in a city that big, that's all." Robert smiled at his daughter's best friend.

"She's... got a cat now." Finn nodded, then sighed. Santana whispered, "Nice save, Hudson." while Robert and Richard were distracted exchanging looks.

"Is that so?" Robert asked sensing there was something about the pause Finn had made.

"Yes, she loves that kitten." Santana replied taking Finn's hand.

"She has always liked cats. Now I get it, the calendar, the musical... Cats! Funny." Finn laughed at his realization. "And like she said, Rachel really loves this old cat. Like a lot. He sleeps in her bed, so go figure." Finn said smiling while Santana was doing a mental facepalm. She had so much more training to do with him...

"I though she had a kitten." Richard pointed out tilting his head, Finn looked like he was about to break.

"Yes, well, I don't know. Her phone was acting funny; that is why I thought it was broken. I didn't understand much about what she said about the cat." Finn replied starting to sweat.

"You said her phone was lost..." Robert tilted his head as well.

"Don't listen to him. We had sex fifteen minutes ago and he's still sleepy; he doesn't know what he's saying. I'm that good." Santana used her too much information card to deflect.

"Uh, yeah. Tons of sex, like... tons. This is why she's making me drink this Indonesian coffee. I need to wake up. But it's gross." Finn was still sweating. Richard and Robert knew Fanta were definitely hiding something. They wanted to know what it was but at the same time, they were being entertained by Finn's hilarity act. "Anyway, we need to go and do stuff."

"Yes, we do. Have a nice day Berry dads!" Santana said dragging Finn out the door.

"Richard, my love, we need to talk to Rachel." Robert said staring at the couple exiting the shop and getting into Santana's car.

"As soon as we are home, my dear Ro-Ro." Richard smiled.

Meanwhile in New York, Rachel and Will were making out on his couch. It had been a challenging task to convince Rachel not to audition that day, but Will had managed to make her agree by promising her they would have their first date that night, which required her being relaxed, not stressed. She could have argued she could just cut the day in half but the truth was she was feeling a bit of lingering frustration about how the week had started. There was also the fact it was arduous for her to deny him anything when he made her breakfast. Besides, she had recently learned procrastinating was fun when it was a shared activity. Now that Will was laying on top of her devouring her mouth, Rachel knew she had made the right call.

"Just admit it, Will." Rachel said between kisses.

"There's nothing to admit, Rach, drop it." He kissed her neck.

"It's a very graphic song! And you selected it! And I sang it! I nailed it by the way." She giggled.

"You did, naturally, but I don't remember you saying it was inappropriate back then." Will slid his hands from her lower back to her butt, accidentally pressing a few buttons of her phone without either of them noticing.

"Touché. But it's still a very sexual song, boyfriend. Admit it." She looked at him with a winning smile. "Perhaps you chose not to notice back then but that doesn't change reality, and that it is a sexual song. Period."

"I beg to disagree." Will kissed her.

"'He's lovin', he's touchin', he's squeezin' another...'" Rachel sang the verse for him. "Really? You don't think that's adult content? Not to mention we mashed it up with 'anyway you want it, that's the way you need it' ... I have no idea how I manage not to blush through that! You have a very dirty mind, Will," she whispered to his ear.

"Rach, you performed 'Push It'." He stated. "Your mind is dirtier than mine." Will looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Granted, adult material, and I acknowledge it. But I was making a statement with that particular song choice and performance. Why can't you admit I'm right?" She slid her hands under his shirt and started to trace idle patterns on his abs, maybe that would make him break.

"Fine, you win. But you didn't say it needed a parental discretion warning." He conceded. Not only she was right, she was using a very successful tactic to make him give in.

"I know, yet I win." She smiled. "Toxic was another envelope-pusher, all the more if we consider you performed that number with us. Oh, and that reminds me, you are definitely not wearing vests to work." Rachel kissed him.

"I got caught with the Britney fever, yes." Will laughed. "And why shouldn't I wear them? I thought you like them." He started to lift her shirt and caress her stomach.

"That's exactly my point. You look astonishing in them, and I don't want your students crushing on you." She stopped his hands. "Don't tickle me just to make me lose my concentration and therefore get me to change the subject. This crossfire of caresses is starting to get dangerous." Rachel smiled.

"What am I supposed to wear, then?" He laughed. "And I love ticking you; your laugh is beautiful."

"I don't know. We need to figure it out. I don't want those tramps to notice your abs and sculpted arms either." She said seriously while cupping his face.

"Rach, don't call them that. You don't know them. But I won't be wearing vests, if that makes you happy." He tickled her.

"Thanks." She said giggling. "And what did I tell you?"

"That these jeans are too uncomfortable and you need me to help you be more comfortable?" He teased in a lower tone. "If you a vetoing my vests, I can do the same with your jeans. When you are with me, that is." Will ran his hands down her legs. His touch explaining the obvious reasoning behind his request.

"Fair enough." She kissed him quickly. Bargaining with him was always great.

"Starting now, Rach." He looked into her eyes, once again he wasn't shy about how much he wanted her.

"Will!" She laughed. "Again?"

"I love your laugh; I can't help it." He kissed her. "Besides, you sang a pretty dangerous verse."

"Oh, so now you are using it in your favor?"

"I'm just reinforcing your point, Rach." Will said raising an eyebrow.

"That is such a turn on..." Rachel giggled before pulling him closer for another kiss.

That was when, luckily, the battery on Rachel's phone died, leaving Robert and Richard Berry perplexed.

"Our little girl is... Richard, how did we miss this?"

"I don't know; maybe we didn't." Richard shrugged.

"What do you mean? They had to have started seeing each other here. Rachel hasn't been in New York long enough to reconnect with him. Did we even know he was there?" Robert was starting to develop a theory and he didn't like it one bit.

"No. I think she has been sneaky. Wow. Rachel and William Schuester ... Now I get why Finn was acting like he was concussed." Richard smiled at the recollection.

"Should we intervene, dear? She sounded ... cheerful." Robert took his glasses off and rubbed his temple.

"He did too. And he said her laugh is beautiful ... I don't hate this." Richard sounded slightly excited. "She's growing up..." He sighed. "And she's right, Will Schuester looks good in vests. A man that looks that yummy wearing them is always a catch."

"But she kept a romantic relationship from us. One with her teacher nonetheless. I do concede he is eye candy, though." Robert was the most serious of Rachel's dads, and ironically, it seemed the whole Berry family had crushed on Will at one point or another.

"She was never in his Spanish class and Glee was an extracurricular activity. Technically, she wasn't his student. He never had to grade her. Plus, Rachel and Finn broke up almost a year ago, she was over sixteen by then, and that's the age of consent in Ohio; they weren't doing anything illegal. Technically. I repeat, I don't hate this."

"However he is TECHNICALLY sleeping with our daughter, so I am BEYOND TECHNICALLY concerned." Robert sounded exactly like Rachel did every time she was upset. "I can't either love it nor hate any of this if our daughter doesn't even bother to inform us she's seeing him."

"We let her date Finn and you are worried about Will Schuester?" Richard threw his hands up in the air, to him it was ridiculous to be that distressed over her and someone mature, when the precedent was a young man that couldn't even pick his own coffee blend. "I think she's in good hands. No pun intended."

"I am worried about everything she doesn't tell us." Robert huffed. "And that sounded as intended as the Bette Midler autographed poster you paid a fortune for."

"Well, we can call her in a couple of hours and confront her about not telling us but I'm sure Rachel will have a good explanation." Richard stated while avoiding arguing about his latest purchase.

"We should call her now." Robert picked his phone from his lap where he had left it.

"She's... expressing herself at the time being, I presume" Richard was trying not to smile.

"And we are going to let her? You are suggesting we are to schedule when to call our only daughter so she can have sex with her former teacher slash new squeeze?" Robert was outraged at the suggestion.

"If you heard the same piece of information I did, you know she did today already and I don't see how calling now would be helpful. Do you want her to answer to you panting? On a side note, you calling Will her squeeze is endearing." Richard patted his husband's back.

"Helpful or not, I'm calling her right now. And I couldn't help it, she sang that damn song."

"Ro-Ro, we are forgetting her cell is off; so, even if you are dying to yell at her, you can't. Let it be."

"Luckily I think I have his number. I asked for it when they left for Nationals the first time around."

"This is going to be interesting ... We are going to coitus interrupt our daughter..." Richard sighed shaking his head.

"Richard, please! You are not helping!" Robert said while searching for Will's number.

Will had just taken his shirt off when his phone rang on the floor. Since the ringtone was a generic one and not the personalized ones he had for the people he knew, curiosity sparked.

"Yes! I'm sure it's a call back!." Rachel said kissing his hand. Without looking, Will stretched his arm and picked the device.

"Hello?" He answered after clearing his throat.

"Am I speaking to Will Schuester?" Robert asked.

"Yes, this is him. Who am I talking to?" Will said still on top of Rachel and not breaking eye contact with her. She was now smiling widely, convinced her boyfriend was going to be part of a big production soon. In addition, Rachel was mentally picking a dress to wear at his debut.

"Hello, Will. This is Robert Berry. I'm very sorry to be bothering you but I've been calling Rachel and I keep going straight to voice-mail. Would you be kind enough to let me talk to her?" The stubborn Berry asked taking Will by surprise.

"Yes, hold on for just a moment, please." Will covered the phone with his hand and looked at Rachel with concern. "Rach, this is one of your dads. He's been trying to reach you, and somehow he knew you were here." Will sat up and helped her do the same. Rachel was in absolute shock. She took her phone from her jean's back pocket and noticed it was off.

"My battery died." She whispered, "You think he knows?" Rachel's eyes widened in panic.

"I don't know, sweetheart, but since he called me that's very likely, and there was no point in denying anything. You need to talk to him." He handed her the phone.

"I'm putting him on speaker." Rachel informed him.

"Speaker? Again?" Will had a bad feeling.

"Yes, I'm sure dad and daddy are together. Besides, I refuse to do this alone, if they have the slightest suspicion we are an item." She pressed the button. "Hi, Dad? I'm so sorry, my phone was off. I've had such a hectic day I forgot to charge my battery..."

"Hello, Rachel. It's good your phone shot down when it did. You and Will butt-dialed and called us." Robert said dropping the bomb. He wasn't a man known for beating around the bush. Hearing his husband, Richard instantly pressed the speaker button, while Will took Rachel's hand in his. The truth was out. It was damage control time.

"We didn't hear anything you should be embarrassed about, sweet child of mine. I've always liked Will Schuester. He can dance, unlike an ex-football star you used to date..." Richard tried to lighten the mood.

"Oh hi, Daddy. Well, I can explain. He and I were rehearsing a scene for a play." Rachel said squeezing Will's hand strongly. He just closed his eyes, Rachel's dads had heard them; there was no way they would believe that blatant lie.

"Honey that was a good try but you were talking about Glee." Richard laughed. "I'm afraid we caught you with your hand in the cookie jar. Or should I say Will's hand in the Berry jar?"

"Richard!" Robert yelled. He didn't need to picture Will's hand anywhere near his only daughter; hearing part of their interaction had been more than enough for a lifetime.

"We ... I don't know what to say. Are you upset?" Rachel blushed while Will tried to calm himself and her down by placing his hand on her knee.

"You should have told us, Rachel. For how long has this thing between the two of you been going on?" Robert asked solemnly.

"It started about a week ago," Rachel said and then took a deep breath. "However, I think it's safe to say we were ... we had feelings towards one another for longer than that." She smiled at Will affectionately. "We do have some history after all."

"That means you were not having a forbidden affair with him while you were still in Lima?" Robert was starting to feel relieved. At the same time, Will's heart was racing. Of course his girlfriend's dads were going to suspect they had been previously involved given the narrow time frame since Rachel's departure from Lima to this day. They had accidentally stumbled onto a relationship in full bloom, one that had been kept from them. Will knew how the picture might have looked like to them.

"No, Dad, of course not. We... you will not believe this but we met by chance at the airport. As it turned out, we were on the same flight. It was like a movie. Please don't be upset; he's a wonderful man and I love him." Rachel closed her eyes waiting for the parental preaching to start.

"I love her too." Will spoke up. He wasn't going to wash his hands clean of the situation. "I realize how this all might sound, and I apologize about what you heard on the phone but I'm in love with your daughter." He looked at her and squeezed her knee. Will knew she had no doubts about how strong his feelings were but her dads needed to be privy now. "I would never take advantage of her or any other student ,and I swear on my life that our infatuation stage began on that plane. And I couldn't be happier about it."

"Dad, Daddy, it was unexpected for the both of us, and you taught me love isn't something I should or could run away from." Rachel said locking eyes with Will. What he had said, how he had stood up to her virtually in front of her fathers was making her fall in love with him even more.

"Aw, Ro-Ro! They are in love! I am sincerely over the moon about this; I can see my future grandchildren singing to us already!" Richard beamed at his husband. "I bet you make a very cute couple, Mazel Tov." He then said to Sherry.

"Don't scare him, Daddy." Rachel complained. "But thank you for being understanding. I had planned to tell you, but ... I was waiting for the right occasion." She explained.

"I have to say I am still taken by surprise about this, but I will trust your judgment, Rachel." Robert said sighing.

"It's not like you have a choice, darling." Richard interjected, smiling.

"Exactly." Rachel emphasized. "And you have nothing to worry about; I'm truly happy."

"We heard." Robert said a little more bitterly now.

"Sorry again about that, Mr. Berry." Will needed to apologize. He felt like a teenager caught with a girl hidden under his bed, which curiously, had never happened to him. He wanted to add that they would be more careful next time, but he chose not to make any mention of a next time. Her dads already knew more than they should.

"Passion doesn't need an apology, Will." Rachel said softly, resting her head on his shoulder, making him smile instantly.

"Are you listening to this, Ro-Ro? Aren't they the cutest thing on earth?" Richard couldn't hide his excitement.

"I have to admit you are a very brave man, Will. Dating someone with two overly protective fathers ... dating Rachel, nonetheless ... that requires a lot of confidence and patience, among other things. I'm impressed with the way you are handling yourself right now on the phone. In addition, I have always thought very highly of you. " Robert complimented his daughter's boyfriend. "And yes, Richard, they sound lovely."

"I'm not brave; I'm lucky to have her in my life." Will replied making Rachel melt. "You raised a hell of a women."

"Thanks, Will. We are proud of her and you have our blessing." Robert smiled. Will had won him over. "But if you make her cry..."

"Dad!" Rachel jumped on her seat.

"I was going to say he ought to be cautious with Santana. I'm convinced she was trying to kill Finn with Indian coffee earlier today." Robert shared.

"Or rough sex, I can't make up my mind about it." Richard joked. "What's the deal with them? Is there Fanta?" Richard added.

"I have no idea whatsoever about what is exactly going on with them. And excuse me? She was doing what?" Rachel was confused. All of the sudden the topic had changed and her dads weren't clear enough.

"We ran into her and Finn earlier and she was making him drink very strong coffee. My theory is she is still punishing the poor boy for hurting you. And they also mentioned a lot of sex being had among them." Richard explained, with candor.

"She would do that, of course. However, I don't think this is the case. But you do have a valid point, Finn still doesn't know she and I toilet-papered his house when we broke up." Rachel broke into laughter and Will joined her. "But she likes Will; she even gave us a pet name: Sherry. Doesn't it sound classy?" Rachel shared.

"If you managed to be on Santana's good side, Will, then we have faith in you." Robert laughed too.

"Well, thank you. I wasn't aware she was a menace." Will replied naively; he should have thought about that.

"She isn't one so far, in fact, she's thrilled." Rachel reassured Will.

"All the better, but the only one whose opinion I care about is you, Rach." Will kissed her cheek, for a second he forgot her dads were participants of this four way conversation. He was in the Sherry bubble once again.

"Do you see now why I am head over hills about him?" Rachel asked her dads staring into Will's eyes lovingly. She just wanted to end the conversation and join him in the aforementioned bubble.

"He's a keeper." Richard said sighing. "Ro-Ro, we should leave these two alone now. We know what we wanted to know."

"Your daddy is right Rachel. Have a nice day. And Will, please take good care of her." Robert said about to hang up.

"I will Mr. Berry."

"Goodbye Dad. Goodbye, Daddy. I love you." Rachel said smiling happily.

"Send us a pic of you and Will to show the neighbors, sweat pea." Richard requested. "I bet you two look like a Hallmark couple."

"I will, and we obviously do." Rachel nodded smiling. "Talk to you soon." Rachel replied finally ending the conversation. "Wow. Did we just ace a 'meet the parents' kind of situation?" She hugged Will. "We are good!"

"I think so, your daddy mentioned grandchildren." Will snorted wrapping his arms around her.

"He did have a point; our future children will sing all the time, and they will sing beautifully." Rachel nodded.

"Rach..." Will was starting to have a panic attack.

"Don't freak out. I'm not talking about the immediate future." She laughed. "You were such a charmer. You don't fail to impress me, boyfriend." She added proudly.

"That's a goal of mine." Will winked. "But to be fair, your dads were very understanding."

"They are the best! And I can't believe they heard us..." Rachel buried her face on his chest.

"Me neither." Will chuckled. "That is another reason for you not to wear pants." He tried to act innocently.

"Hmmm, that is true. I love you, Will." Rachel looked up and into his eyes.

"I love you more." He kissed her quickly.

"Don't make a competition out of this, Sir!" Rachel playfully slapped him in the chest.

"Are you afraid you would lose?" Will teased.

"No, but I am not sure if I would want to win or lose." Rachel smiled. "Let's make an exception and call it a tie."

"Perfect." Will kissed her once again. He couldn't believe they were so officially together, or that things with her dads had gone so smoothly. It could actually have been a disaster.

"I must admit I am relieved my dads know, boyfriend. We hadn't discussed this but I had a plan about how to approach them, yet this worked out in our favor." Rachel sat on Will's lap. "Everyone I care about is on the same page now."

"It went well." Will enveloped her in his arms. "But I'm curious as to what your course of action would have been. If I'm not wrong, that's what you were going to say next."

"Precisely." Rachel nodded. "I would have planted seeds." She smiled. "First I would have told them I met a wonderful men. Then I would have described your most impressive qualities so they would warm up to you before knowing I was talking about you. And then I would have revealed your identity." Rachel laughed. "It was a good plan."

"You are a mastermind, sweetheart." Will kissed her.

"Well, yes, and I have to credit San for some of that. Speaking of her, I should tell her my dads know."

"Now?" Will was sensing another multiple-way conversation was about to take place.

"Yes." Rachel nodded smiling. "But I will just text her, don't worry. You've had enough craziness for the day." Rachel kissed his nose and stood up as Will stared at her going through her purse where she had a spare battery. Rachel Berry was always prepared. She put the new battery on her phone and smiled when she saw she had a text from her BFF.

"You are smiling dangerously, what is it?" Will had to ask. She walked towards him and sat on his lap again.

"You need to see this." She showed him the text and both burst into laughter.

"_**BERRY! THE CAT MIGHT BE OUT OF THE BAG, FINN'S FAULT! BE CAREFUL WITH THE PARENTAL UNITS. TELL ME IF I HAVE TO MAKE FLAN FOR THEM. LOVE YA."**_

Rachel replied to the text and her and Will cuddled in the couch, both in awe about the outcome of their confrontation with her dads. Sometimes, planets actually seemed to be aligned for Sherry. At least for now...

–-

AN: As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed the story, it really means a lot that you took the time, plus, I like to know if you like the path I'm taking. Second of all, a shoutout to Buffy Anne who is kind enough to edit this fic! And last but not least, this week is going to be crazy for me at work so there might be a slight delay until the next chapter, please be patient, it's not going to be over a week, I promise!


	12. Chapter 12

**A.N.: Sorry for the delay! Work has been crazy, hopefully I will continue to update as often as I normally do. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, and specially to Buffy Anne, my second pair of eyes :). Enjoy! **

"**Bricks"**

**Chapter XII**

The hours preceding Rachel and Will's official first date were anything but dull. Even though they hadn't actually had the time to worry about her dads, after being in the clear with them, the couple felt relieved and had renewed, shared hopes about what they were becoming. Contrary to what Rachel had always believed, not every great love story had to be complicated; in fact, that was what was making their relationship so stellar, it simply worked. It was effortless, natural and undeniably true. She couldn't help but reason that what they had was unique because they were. Rachel was now convinced her and Will were living an urban fairytale that had started once upon a time in an airport, or maybe sooner; that, she couldn't decide, really. Falling in love hadn't occurred in one spare second. It had been an ongoing process that was accelerated by a chain of little meaningful events between two people that had always cared for the other in the purest of forms.

After they had a celebratory lunch and rejoiced about the Berry dads giving them their blessing, Will and Rachel were cuddling on his couch in silence, just listening to the other's breathing and getting lost in the their private thoughts. Rachel couldn't believe she and Will were doing so many things backwards, but she didn't mind as long as everything worked so smoothly. Secretly, she was eager to go on their official first date because she wanted to see how Will might surprise her. She was absolutely sure he would, once again, sweep her off her feet. She loved how he romanced her despite the fact they were already so close; so, in her mind, she was actually giving her boyfriend a chance to shine.

As she stared at Will's gorgeous features, the brunette sighed at the sight. He was much more exciting than anyone she had previously dated. He was so mature, so tender ... and was someone she knew she could learn things from. He had a lot to give and she could see all that potential. Rachel was convinced she was in part responsible for the birth of this new Will, HER Will. After all, it was because of her that Will Schuester, the do-gooder, had engaged in sexual activities against a door while his neighbor was listening. Because of her, he had agreed to change his regular work clothes and even his eating habits. He had auditioned more than he had originally planned. He was a much more relaxed person now than he was when he was her teacher, and most importantly, he was a sweetheart to her. She smiled at the memories and whispered "I love you" in his ear just because she could. Love between them was now uncensored and allowed, which was overwhelmingly thrilling and calming at the same time.

Rachel had always been prone to test and push those around her to death, but somehow, Will didn't need to prove a thing; he had passed many tests on his own. He had heard things that would have made anyone blush coming from Santana's mouth and hadn't ran away. He had the initiative to tell her dads he loved her after they had heard them being more than friendly. He had talked to her ex boyfriend and hadn't hesitated to state she was now his. He had protected her from Shelby in a way her own dads hadn't tried, and he had came clean about the nature of his relationship with her biological mother. In addition, he hadn't made a big deal out of her throwing a bag filled with clothes at him in the heat of their first fight, and yes, it was because of him that she now knew what having an orgasm feels like. Without trying, Will had demonstrated to her that he was up to the challenge she, Rachel Berry, was. The brunette closed her eyes and let out a contented sigh; the man next to her was the one permanent fixture in her mind. He wasn't a far off dream; they were a reality. Love can't be customized, and still it becomes perfect with the right person. Rachel was smiling, savoring the moment, as he stared at her like she was the most precious thing he had ever seen in his whole life.

Will adored these quiet moments with Rachel. Her whispered "I love you" in the spare of the moment and for no specific reason reflected that she wasn't taking him for granted and that he wasn't the only one in charge of the romance. Their relationship didn't feel like a job, instead, it was the oasis he had always been looking for. They were equally invested in "Sherry."

For the first time in his adult life, he felt he deserved more than what he had before, and she was living proof of that. Rachel made him feel worthy and cherished. He felt her sigh and smile into his chest and those simple actions made him feel strong. He was now the kind of man who could not only handle a girlfriend with a type A personality and enjoy it but also one who wasn't scared of the challenge that it represented. He had kept his distance from her while he was her teacher but now, boundaries were gone and she was making him feel he could take her breath away by doing nothing at all. Rachel gave him more confidence than she would ever begin to realize. He kissed the top of her head promising himself he would do whatever was necessary so they would both have the first date they deserved. Their day had started perfectly, that meant their night couldn't be anything but perfect too.

As he was mentally going over the details he had yet to take care of, Will couldn't stop thinking about the day before. Rachel had been very understanding about his make out session with Shelby when she could have tried to emotionally blackmail him like Terri definitely would have. His girlfriend had made it clear she wanted to live the present with him; she had acknowledged she needed him. Now, a day later, he realized no one had ever said they needed him except for the Glee club ... and judging by the way they had choosen "To Sir with Love" as their anthem to him, he suspected Rachel was the one behind that idea. He kissed the top of her head again and tightened his arms around her as a silent thank you. She smiled still with her eyes closed. Rachel loved their silent serenade.

He had changed, but so had she, Will thought, closing his eyes as well. Rachel had even told her parents they had no choice but to accept the idea of them being a couple, risking having an argument with them. She hadn't felt awkward when Finn, her high-school sweetheart and first love, learned about them. In both cases, judgment didn't touch her, which was an improvement for her. The old Rachel he knew would have made a huge deal out of the same situations or maybe this Rachel would as well if she felt their relationship wasn't solid enough to defend, but that wasn't the case.

She loved being with him and the world knowing about it. She was jealous about girls she didn't know. She brought some sort of liberation to his life that he couldn't define. Will had never felt that way yet he had never felt so himself as now. Will wanted to sing with her, to dance with her, to have every type of conversation, to visit places, to MAKE memories... he wanted her to laugh and to join her. He couldn't wait to see her succeed how he always knew she would, how she deserved, no more nor less. He was falling in love with her over and over again with each passing day. He wanted her to know that on their first date. They weren't just going through the motions hand in hand, being together was a choice, by far the best one he had made.

They didn't share a brain and they were still in silence, sharing warmth in a comfortable embrace, yet the notion of "the one" was alive in their minds and bodies. The sense of belonging beating strong in their hearts.

"Will?" Rachel said in a soft tone opening her eyes.

"Don't say it." He rubbed her arm up and down refusing to open his own eyes. "I don't want you to move." Rachel smiled widely, she found his territorial ways very sexy. In her mind, a man who wasn't afraid to state what he wanted was a confident one. Especially if said man wanted her.

"Nor do I but I should get going. You see, there is this someone I have to dress to impress for tonight..." Rachel said in a seductive tone causing him to open his eyes.

"Can't you just ditch him and stay with me for a little longer? I don't think he would mind... and I doubt you have to impress him, sweetheart." He kissed her nose.

"I still want to look beautiful for him. He's quite handsome, you know?" Rachel traced circular patterns on his chest.

"Sounds like you are in love." Will smiled.

"Yes, but don't let him know," she whispered. "Otherwise he has an edge on this date." Rachel winked.

"In that case, I can keep it a secret, but I am sure he is in love with you, lucky guy." Will's lips brushed hers; their silly little flirty games were always enjoyable for him.

"I know he is, that is why he's taking me out on this very special date, which again, leads to the original topic of conversation: I have to go." Rachel sighed. She loved their bubble and was a bit hesitant to burst it for a couple of hours.

"Who am I to stand in the way of love?" Will shrugged and reluctantly let her go. Rachel laughed and both sat up already missing the contact.

"I will see you in a few hours, boyfriend." Rachel kissed him quickly, she knew if she was to give him time to deepen the kiss she would never leave.

"I can't wait," Will said staring at her dumbly. He wanted every day to be like this one. She stood up and when he was starting to do the same, she placed a hand on his shoulder in order to stop him.

"Stay here. I can get myself out. I know you are a gentleman but I also suspect you will try to do something to prevent me from leaving." Rachel smiled as she saw him widening his eyes. "I knew it! Shame on you, Will." Rachel giggled. He was caught.

"You knowing me so well is starting to be a problem," Will joked.

"Of course." Rachel nodded stepping away from him. "Try not to miss me much," she said before taking her things.

"I'm trying already." Will watched her walk to the door.

"Good." Rachel smiled at him again. "Later, Will. I love you."

"Bye, Rach, text me once you are home so I know you are safe."

"Aw, you are so caring! I definitely will. Bye." And with that, Rachel hurried to her apartment.

She was momentarily out of the Sherry bubble but not quite. Her head was spinning and her heart was racing. For some reason, she felt the seduction ritual between her and Will was starting all over again and she loved how much excitement that caused her. Rachel adored having their date set on a mental countdown and the tick-tock was thrilling to her, not to mention missing Will made her feel warm inside. He was deep under her skin; she couldn't deny that. She felt a part of her had stayed with him and the thought he might be experiencing the same made her smile.

On the other hand, Rachel was starting to worry about neither of them getting callbacks from their auditions. They only had one more week to attend castings full time; after that, classes would change everything and even though she knew they would come with a foolproof plan to make things work, she wasn't at ease just yet. Too many emotions, good and bad, were overwhelming her when she made it to her apartment.

Will hadn't dated in a long time so he was slightly worried about meeting Rachel's high standards; however, he had a few tricks on his sleeve, and a beautiful city with a wide range of perfect scenery to help him. She hadn't asked for anything, which was surprising for someone who had always been thought of as high maintenance, and as a result, the idea that she might have been testing him crossed his mind.

Rachel had said she would dress to impress and Will had no doubt in his mind she would, not that that particular task was difficult anyway. However, he wanted to look impeccable for her too. He opened his closet and smiled.

"Vests," he said to himself before picking a few clothing items.

The former Glee coach had forgotten the last time he had put so much thought before choosing what to wear. It was as if Rachel had injected him with life and expectations. That came with a price, though; he couldn't fail. Getting ready would definitely be a challenge if he wanted everything to be perfect for her. As a result, he had to put his knowledge in theater productions to use. Sherry was the ensemble, so he had to try to match her outfit blindly. He tried on a few vests in neutral colors and all of them worked, but he couldn't decide which was the most appropriate one. That was when he started to freak out like a teenage boy: what would happen if he was overdressed and that made her look under-dressed? Or if the opposite happened? Should he try to look younger to camouflage their age difference? Should he just aim for a red carpet look and hope for the best? Or should he just call Rachel and ask for some advice? Would she guide him and be happy he asked? Or would she be disappointed that a grown up man couldn't decide what to wear on his own? Will definitely needed help. Knowing he had a 50% chance of regretting what he was about to do he sat on his bed, grabbed his cell and called the one person he thought he would never ask for assistance.

"Well, well, hello Schuester! I have been waiting for this day..." Santana greeted him smiling and walking away from Finn's bed.

"Hey," Will said shyly. "I'm sorry to bother you, Santana, but I need your help." Will stared at the pile of clothing on his bed.

"Sure you do, you are dating Rachel freaking Berry!" Santana laughed. "Is she driving you crazy already?"

"No, she's not but I'm taking her on our first date tonight and ... this will sound silly but I don't know what to wear, and since you know her so well I thought you might be my secret helper, what do you say?" Will resorted to his Glee-esque peppy ways to get through to her and avoid sounding as desperate as he felt.

"Hmmm, secret helper, huh? I love it!" Santana went inside Finn's bathroom and locked the door.

"Thanks in advance." Will felt relieved.

"It's no biggie, I love B. Plus, you are the only boyfriend of hers I have liked ... with her anyway." The Latina rolled her eyes thinking about the boy napping in the bedroom. "I'm assuming you have a vest in mind, right?"

"Yes, but I don't want to look older wearing one, so I'm feeling iffy about it." Will rubbed his forehead. Vests had never been so stressing.

"She clearly digs older, Schuester. I say a vest is a great idea." Santana sat on the floor, she liked being considered in this matter.

"Okay, but I have a couple of dozen of them. How do I narrow them down?"

"She will be thinking about getting you out of it all night, so you have to go with one that's easy to unbutton." Santana laughed, she was a practical girl. She was also enjoying the thought of her old teacher blushing at her comment.

"Ok, I have fewer options now." Will said as he was feeling his face becoming red; he was actually agreeing with her.

"Nice! Tell me their colors, please."

"Two are black, one is grey. I have a navy blue one and the remaining one is green." Will shook his head, he knew he sounded like a girl.

"Forget about the green one; you don't want to look like Peter Pan." Santana chuckled. "Do you know what pants you are going to wear? Easy access is key with them as well."

"Santana I appreciate your help but this is..." Will couldn't finish his sentence.

"Awkward? Oh yeah, and I love it, but you know what would be more awkward? Rachel sending you home to change. You know she would do that." Santana nodded to herself.

"Yes but ... can we not think about..." Once again Will had no clue how to say it; he was unwilling to talk about sex with his girlfriend's best friend.

"Sure we can, but you do want to get laid, don't you? Well, then you need to suck it up and listen to me," she said getting a bit annoyed.

"I just want to impress her," Will stated, sighing.

"Yes, and then you expect some action, or are you thinking about dropping her home and leaving just because you are sort of role-playing a first date? In that case I would be disappointed." Santana got serious.

"I just expect to make her happy." Will needed to be ambiguous even though he couldn't fool Santana.

"Fine. Then I suggest you pick black pants, a simple white shirt and the navy blue vest sounds good to me. Bring a black jacket too but take it off as soon as you sit to eat, B would love to help you put it on afterward." She sensed his nervousness.

"Great I hadn't thought about that. You think she'll like what you picked for me? Isn't it too much?" Will said setting aside the items Santana advised him to wear.

"Schuester, my girl is crazy about you, and you are already panty-dropper handsome; don't be so nervous!" She tried to reassure him.

"Well, thanks I guess, but what if she decides to wear something simple and I look like an idiot?"

"Knowing her, Rachel will dress as a prom queen for you, and she'll probably wear pink or red, if she feels bold enough, which would be an excellent sign for you, Red means she's totally doing you tonight." Santana laughed uncontrollably. "I hope she wears red."

"Should I bring her flowers?" Will tried to deflect as he smiled making a mental note about what his ex-student had pointed out.

"Hell no! If you do she would have to go back inside her apartment and put them in a vase. Forget about the flowers."

"Forgotten already. So that's it. Thanks a lot for helping me, Santana," Will said knowing he had to rush to get ready.

"My pleasure. But before you hang up, wear navy blue boxers if you have some. Rachel would love that, and the tie... hmmm, go with black, it can't fail."

"I'll keep that in mind. Seriously, thank you." Will said feeling confident about what they had picked.

"No problem, enjoy your night AND my best friend. Bye!" Santana hung up as Will got up from his bed and headed towards the bathroom.

"Babe, what are you doing in there?" Finn said knocking the bathroom's door.

"I was helping The Schuester get laid." She opened the door smiling like a lunatic.

"Gross." Finn made a face.

"I think it's fun; he's taking her out on their first date." She nodded.

"Ok..." Finn didn't know how to reply to that.

"That makes me think I should take you on one." Santana wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Awesome." Finn smiled.

"I love wearing the pants in this relationship," she said before kissing him.

Meanwhile in New York, Rachel was having a crisis of her own choosing what to wear. This was different than the first time. Now, she knew she was going on a date with Will, and even though they were already boyfriend and girlfriend, it still put a considerable amount of pressure on her. It was ridiculous; he had seen her naked already, she knew that, but she just wanted to look pretty and classy for him. She had been the student with a crush on her teacher before, so now she wanted to look mature and worthy of him without going for the trophy girlfriend approach.

She tried every single dress she had at least twice while secretly hating Will for a few seconds. If he had given her more notice about their date, she would have bought something perfect for the occasion. Reminding herself of what he had told her hours earlier, she breathed in and out a couple of times and decided on a simple, short red dress with black straps, that way she could use her high-heeled black shoes.

Rachel was finally ready and spraying some perfume on her hair when she heard the bell ring. She rushed to answer and the proceeded to walk the stars down carefully as her heart was beating fast in anticipation. She couldn't wait to see Will AND his reaction to her wardrobe. She opened the door and locked eyes with him instantly. Will wanted to say how beautiful she looked but her intense gaze made all his thoughts vanish. They stared into the other's eyes for a few seconds, as both their chests were rising and falling. It was as if time had stopped right on cue.

"Rach..." Will finally said catching his breath. "You look wonderful, sweetheart." He took her hand and spun her around slowly.

"So do you, boyfriend. You are swoon-worthy," Rachel said before kissing him tenderly on the lips and locking the door.

"Mission accomplished, then." Will placed his hand on her lower back and walked her towards a yellow cab. "Our ride awaits us." He opened the door for her and waited for Rachel to get in before following her inside the car.

"Where are we going? Is it far? Hmm, now I get why our date is so early..." Rachel said answering her own question.

"You will see." Will smiled. The driver started the car and they left her block without Will saying a word.

The restaurant where they were going to have dinner wasn't far from Rachel's apartment. In fact, it was in between her and Will's place. Distance wasn't the reason for the date starting early. Will had planned an hour and a half city tour for the both of them. He knew she wanted to do some sightseeing with him, and so far, they hadn't had the chance; so, he took it as an opportunity. For her part, Rachel was in complete awe. Not only she was mesmerized by the view, no one had ever taken her on a ride that charming.

They held hands the whole time and exchanged a few kisses, both attempting to hold back a little. Their date was just starting and they couldn't risk getting too physical just yet. It was difficult to keep their hands to themselves, though. Passion was running wild through their veins; however, Will and Rachel reminded themselves that this date was too important to cut short. What they had was puppy love and fatal attraction rolled into one, and they were going to enjoy it.

As expected, the evening was pleasant and romantic. Will had picked the perfect place with a wide range of vegan meal options and a glamorous ambiance. On top of that, there was live music and a ball room close to their booth. Rachel was convinced their urban fairytale was getting better by the second.

Like every time they were together, the couple discussed everything and anything, joked, laughed, exchanged tender but still appropriate caresses and even fed each other dessert. This was indeed a magical night for Sherry. Just when Rachel thought it couldn't get any better, Will decided to pull her closer to him and sing in her ear. If anyone asked her, she would say John Mayer's 'Your body is a wonderland' had never sounded better. Nor had it ever aroused her this much. His lips close to her ear, his hand resting on her thigh under hers, his voice playing a graceful tribute to the lyrics, his every action directed towards her ... Rachel had been serenaded before, but never like this.

Will had barely finished the song when she turned to him and crashed his lips with hers. There was an urgency to her kiss, a thousand and one 'I love yous' and a hundred 'thank yous' implied. A reciprocated devotion, a twenty star review to his intimate performance and a promise to never forget that moment. Rachel's attraction to Will had never been so strong and uncontrollable, and that was saying a lot. The kiss ended when air became pivotal.

"Will, I think we should go home." Rachel said out of breath in a hush tone. She knew how she sounded yet she couldn't bother to care, she needed to be as close as possible to him. She had an urge to do R rated things to her boyfriend, and that booth wasn't private enough.

"Dance with me first; we have never danced." Will whispered almost pleading.

"Aw, that would be so nice." She smiled, unable to deny him. Will stood up and held his hand out to help her. She took it and stood up as well. They neared the dance floor hand in hand, smiling. All their chemistry was going to be in motion.

"Let's show off a little," Will said placing his hand on her lower back.

"Absolutely!" Rachel replied, excited, wrapping one arm around his neck and placing her hand on his chest. Will covered her hand with, and they interlocked their fingers.

"This is perfect," he stated looking into her eyes as he tightened his grip on her lower back. Then they started to sway.

"I couldn't agree more." She sighed contently. "When did you plan all this, Will? We have been inseparable..."

"Remember when I was checking my emails this morning? I was actually making reservations online..." Will smiled proudly.

"Resourceful, I like it! This is a real good date, Will." She rested her head against his chest. "Thank you." she whispered softly.

"Don't thank me; I wanted to do something special for my girlfriend. I'm glad this is what you wanted." He looked down so their eyes would meet.

"I've been spoiled now. Seriously, you got points for originality with our private tour around the city, an A++ on the restaurant selection, five stars as a dance partner, and some bonus points for the song you sang to me." Rachel said with excitement.

"I knew you were going to grade me somehow." He laughed.

"Of course I would, and you excelled in all categories, not to mention you were on time and looking ravishing." The brunette nodded before placing a kiss on his jaw.

"So there aren't more departments where you expect me to stand out?" Will took her hand, and spun her around slowly.

"Well, you know the answer to that, don't you?" She said when they were face to face again.

"I do?"

"I think you know as well as I do that your anatomy proficiency is flawless." Rachel wrapped both arms around his neck.

"So is yours." He pulled her closer and leaned them down for a second.

"Well, what can I say? I have a good teacher. He's very focused and hands on." Rachel giggled.

"He's very focused until you say things like that and make his head spin..." Will's fingers dug into her waist.

"So am I, until he sings to my ear and makes my thoughts foggy... well, all thoughts except for one..." Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"Rach, you can't say things like that in a place like this and when our bodies are this close, sweetheart. You are being cruel," he whispered smiling.

"You are one to talk, my beloved boyfriend. You have pulled out every stop to seduce me tonight. What were you expecting?" Rachel matched his smile as they kept dancing.

"For us to have an unforgettable first date."

"Well, you've succeeded. Now, I really want to make it even more memorable." Rachel stared into his eyes with more determination. "You have no idea how much I want you right now." She licked her lips, making his breath hitch.

"I can't wait to know exactly how much," Will said, as his pupils started to dilate and the song ended. "Let's go home. Before you start a fire by making me spontaneously combust."

"Before WE start a fire, boyfriend." Rachel smiled while they let go of one another and held hands again.

Will settled the bill quickly and they hailed a cab. The restaurant was only six blocks away from his apartment but they were determined to make it there as fast as possible. Yet the ride wasn't fast enough and they weren't strong enough to control themselves. As a result, Rachel sat on Will's lap and they made out like frenzied teenagers the entire time.

By the time they got to his apartment, Rachel was practically attacking Will. In spite of her small frame, she had him caged against the door as soon as it was closed.

"Rach, wait. I have one more thing planned for the night. There is something I want to show you ... Rach..." Will said in between kisses while she was unbuttoning his vest blindly.

"Can't it wait? I'm sure it's lovely but ... can't it wait? I can love it later. Now I want to just love you." She said kicking off her shoes and undoing his tie.

"I guess so, yes." Will gave in without a fight. He had to be a moron to try to stop her at the moment. Rachel kissed him once again before dragging him to his bedroom.

They were both naked in no time at all and he was inside her short afterward. There was no foreplay this time; the whole evening had been more than enough to set the mood. They belonged together and their bodies just fit. They shared a passion and a fascination towards one another that made their physical encounters mind blowing. Each time had been different for them; they knew the other's anatomy by heart by now, yet they had enough hunger and determination to keep exploring. Rachel couldn't get enough of Will and Will couldn't get enough of Rachel; it was as simple as that. When they were together, they were explosive. That was who they were, who they were together and how their love was.

As they were cuddling after three very hot and heavy rounds of sex, Rachel felt she was high on Will Schuester. Her mind was clear, her skin was overheated and she felt she was floating. On the other hand, Will looked drunk on Rachel Berry. He was smiling a crooked smile, his eyes were shining and he couldn't form a coherent sentence. They were addicted to one another, that was beyond doubt. Or their power.

They couldn't and wouldn't move. They were holding each other for dear life in comfortable silence until, as always, Rachel felt she had to ask something.

"Would our first date have been like this if we hadn't kissed that night? I mean, would you have asked me out if we hadn't kiss?" she said throwing her legs over his.

"To be completely honest? I have no idea, Rach," Will replied, covering them both with the sheets. Rachel widened her eyes causing him to reformulate his answer. "Sweetheart ,I wanted to kiss you since I walked you to your door the first time around but it ... we had just moved, but the way things turned out ... we rolled with the punches and I think we had a perfect first kiss. I don't think there was a chance we wouldn't have kissed that night, which means I don't know if we would have had an official first date at all."

"Good answer." She smiled. "But just play along. If you had asked me out what do you think we would have done?"

"I think I would have taken you to the theater and then to dinner. We were greener back then."

"So it would have been great just not as romantic as this ... interesting." Rachel giggled.

"Yes. I would have let you know I liked you but I wouldn't have rushed anything. I'm sure if we had danced together on our first date ... well, I think you know where that would have led." Will sighed. He was still pretty much out of breath.

"To bed, yes, which is exactly what happened after we kissed anyway, so how do you know?"

"If we hadn't danced or sang to one another, I don't know if we would have made love afterwards I would have tried to hold back, I think." Will replied honestly.

"But you would have kissed me, right?" Rachel said half stating that as a fact.

"Oh, yeah." Will took her hand and kissed it.

"And how do you know the kiss wouldn't have escalated to something else? How do you know the sexual tension could have been avoided for longer after theater, dinner and a kiss? If I'm being truthful I believe..."

"You are right. We were bound to sleep together anyways." Will finally admitted, laughing.

"That's what I think. We ... you find me irresistible and you wouldn't have been able to just stop at a kiss." She nodded.

"Me, huh? What about you?" Will smiled.

"I am assuming you would have played your cards right, which would have let me no option but want to be with you." Rachel shrugged in mock innocence.

"And what about your cards? What if I had stopped at a kiss even if I wanted more, just so you didn't get the wrong idea?" Will rubbed her forearm.

"In that case, I would have seduced you." Rachel kissed his chin.

"In that case ... right." Will let out a laugh.

"What?" She laughed as well.

"Nothing."

"You were implying something."

"Rach come on, we both know you would have done something regardless. You almost left that night after the waitress interrupted us." Will said pulling her closer.

"Yes because you chickened out!" She pouted.

"I was trying to be careful with your feelings and mine." Will sighed.

"I know," she whispered. "You always have."

"And I always will. You are too important to me." Will kissed the top of her head. "Never forget that."

"It's not like I can when you are so amazing to me all the time." Rachel kissed his shoulder. "You make me feel so much I think I have never been in love before, Will." She confessed.

"And you make me feel I have loved you forever." Will replied staring into her eyes, no one had ever declared their love for him so sweetly.

"That's probably true." Rachel laughed.

Will replied by kissing her soundly on the lips before their bodies surrendered to sleep. After all they knew, she was right; it was probably true, and even if it wasn't, it didn't really matter for how long they had loved one another, the only important thing was they did now. They were with the right person at the right place, at the right time. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Bricks**

**Chapter XIII**

"Rach..." Will whispered to her hair. "Wake up, beautiful." He traced her lips with his thumb. "I'm going to make coffee while you get dressed." He kissed her cheek and she opened her eyes. "Don't take too long, ok?" he said before standing up and heading towards the kitchen.

"It's early..." Rachel managed to say in a soft voice, blinking a few times. Will stopped walking by the door frame and stared at her.

"I want to show you something. Bear with me, just this once, please." He locked eyes with her; Will needed Rachel to not try and convince him to go back to bed.

"Fine, but only because you asked nicely." She stirred.

Will smiled before leaving. He was certain if he continued to contemplate her, they would never make it to the kitchen. Rachel watched him walk away and let out a breath; she didn't want to leave his bed. More importantly, she was dreading waking up knowing they had a day filled with auditions ahead. Her ego was still bruised and she wasn't coping well. Granted, Will had been wonderful and had provided the best kind of distraction, but she was very aware about the fact her phone had been silent.

Will was pouring coffee in their travel mugs, whistling "Your body is a wonderland" when he felt two small arms around his waist.

"Good morning, boyfriend." Rachel hugged him strongly and placed a kiss on his back.

"Hey!" He left the mugs on the counter and, still enveloped in Rachel's arms, turned to face her. Rachel hadn't changed, she was wearing one of his largest shirts and his slippers, and probably nothing else, he assumed. "You are not dressed." He cleared his throat trying not to think about her lack of clothing.

"It's not time to be up yet, therefore I refuse to." She smiled gingerly.

"You are adorable, have I ever mentioned that?" Will smiled back cupping her face in his hands. "Trust me, I wouldn't have gotten you out of bed if I hadn't something planned for us, Rach."

"Fair enough." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "It better be good."

"It is but you need to put some clothes on." Will ran his hands down her back.

"Are we going out? In case you haven't noticed, you are wearing an under-shirt, sweatpants and your robe ... and you are barefoot. That means you are as ready as I am..." Rachel tilted her head.

"Sort of, we are going to be out of the apartment but we are not leaving the building," Will said, trying to be mysterious.

"So we are going to the rooftop," Rachel declared, causing his jaw to drop.

"There goes the surprise element..." Will laughed shaking his head.

"You've been bragging about it since day one; it was an easy guess," she added.

"True. So clothes?" Will checked her out; he loved the sight of Rachel wearing his shirt, but he didn't want anyone but him seeing her like this.

"It's little past five am; I can assure you no one is awake." She kissed him quickly. "Besides I only have a pair of jeans and a shirt here. I haven't showered, hence I am not putting them on until I do."

"Fine," he replied, letting go of her and taking off his robe. "Put this on." Will helped her get into his robe.

"Thanks," Rachel said smiling gratefully. The robe was warm, soft, and smelled like him. "Lead the way, prince charming," she said, picking her mug from the counter.

Will grabbed his mug and neared the door. He opened it and let her exit the apartment first. The elevator took them to the rooftop Will loved so much, and when the brunette saw it she understood why: the view was magnificent.

Something in a corner caught Rachel's eye. There was a bouquet of colorful flowers placed on the ledge. She turned to Will and smiled at him. He had obviously left it on the roof for her the day before in hopes they would go there after dinner. Will had planed every single detail of their date and had surpassed her expectations.

Will stared at her reaction in amazement. He was happy about the outcome of their first date; this was just a bonus. He was also proud of being able to pull it off considering he had little time to orchestrate their evening, and above all, he now knew calling Santana had been a good idea. They walked towards the ledge and Rachel placed her mug there in order to pick up the flowers. Her eyes were open wide and she was sporting her megawatt smile.

"Oh, boyfriend..." Rachel sighed. Once again, Will had taken her breath away. "I had the time of my life last night." She turned to him, holding the bouquet. "Thanks for making me feel so special by planing such an exceptional date for us. I love you, Will."

There was more Rachel longed to say but she was at a loss for words; love was overwhelming her. She figured her actions had to speak for her this time. On instinct, the brunette closed the gap between her and Will and kissed him deeply. His arms and lips welcomed her warmly.

"I just thought you needed to see this too." He simply smiled motioning for her to turn and appreciate the view. "There is nothing I wouldn't give to be able to take you out on fancy dinners every day, but I'm still a teacher; sometimes, this is all I will be able to offer. A nice view and my company." Will sighed. Reality wasn't always romantic.

"I just need you, understood?" She scanned his eyes and placed the flowers next to her travel mug.

"Understood." He nodded, relieved. The spark in her eyes revealed how honest she was being.

"Will, this is amazing," Rachel said, finally taking her eyes away from him to contemplate the empty streets. He smiled, hugging her from behind and placing his mug next to the flowers.

"We are going to slow dance here some night. That's what I had in store yesterday..." Will kissed her neck.

"Well, we had a charming evening. And it's not exactly my fault we never made it here." She giggled. "As far as dancing, while we are illuminated by the city lights, that's definitely a plan. I'll get a new dress for that occasion." Rachel nodded before picking her mug and drinking some coffee. "To think most people believe romance is dead..."

"We are not most people." Will tightened his arms around her.

"Of course not, we are Will and Rachel, hopeless romantics, we are Sherry and the world will know about us," Rachel said matter-of-factly. "Watch out world!" She laughed, placing the mug back on the ledge.

"That was adorable, Rach." Will's laughter joined hers.

"And corny, which I blame you for, Mister." Rachel pressed her back against Will's chest.

"Guilty as charged." Will caressed her stomach over the robe.

"Will, are you worried?" She covered his hands with hers.

"About what?" He rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Our lack of call backs. Are directors deaf?" she replied slightly bothered. "I can't fail at this." She sighed.

"You won't, I promise." Will whispered before kissing her head. "You are meant to succeed."

"You have to say that; you are my boyfriend and biggest fan." She giggled recalling the time he had admitted that. "In addition, you were my vocal coach, so you naturally think so, but what if they don't?" Rachel's voice was about to break, Will could sense it.

"I'm not saying it because I worship you, sweetheart. I believe in you." Will rubbed her wrist. "You are still learning and you'll start college soon, which will give you more perspective and tools than you can imagine. And even without that, you are the whole package."

"You are right, I am." Rachel smiled to herself.

"You are a quadruple threat, Rach." Will nuzzled her neck. "You have an unique voice, you are a flawless actress, a great dancer, and you are drop dead gorgeous."

"So combined we are an octo threat?" Rachel smiled, and he nodded. "Thanks, that made me feel more at ease. In fact, now I have a good feeling about today,;maybe today I will make it."

"That's the spirit, Rach!" Will laughed. "Maybe today is the day but if it's not, there's always tomorrow; tomorrow can be the day too." Will dropped one hand from her stomach to her thigh and stroked her skin. "But right now we are here. It's not the top, but it is my rooftop; it has to count for something..." he whispered.

"You were always great at giving motivational speeches." Rachel laughed. If they were in Glee, he would be patting her back while saying that. As it turned out, his reassuring touches were A LOT more intimate and enticing now they were together.

"However, you didn't always listen to me, you were the most revel among the group." Will massaged her inner thigh. "I loved and hated how feisty you were." He closed his eyes taking in the feel of her soft skin.

"Oh, I did listen. Perhaps I had a tendency to contradict you because I was fighting my pull towards you. Have you ever considered that? Maybe you were too, which would explain why you were more strict with me than with the rest." Rachel turned her head to him. She would have turned her body but she didn't want Will to stop what he was doing.

"Mhm." Will opened his eyes to meet hers while his hand traveled higher up. "Headaches aside, you forced me to bring my A game to practice, Rach. You made me a better teacher, and I'll never forget all you did for me when Holly replaced me." He continued to caress her skin.

"Let's not talk about her," Rachel mumbled with a hint of jealousy.

"You can't be jealous at the drop of a name, sweetheart, especially not right at this second." He parted her legs single-handedly. "I only have eyes for you," he whispered.

"Good." She smiled, taking a deep breath. "I believe you pushed me because you knew I could handle it, and I refuted you because I wanted to take you out of your comfort zone; that was our version of team work back then." She kissed him under his ear. "I fancy this dynamic much more." She gasped as she felt the pressure of his fingers tracing circles on her inner thigh.

"Me too, and I don't think we could go back to our old ways even if we tried." Just in case she hadn't taken his hints, Will pulled Rachel closer so their lower bodies would touch.

"Not a chance. And FYI, the answer is no, Will." Rachel breathed in in anticipation as his hand was nearing her center.

"The answer to what exactly?" He stilled his hand and gave her a quizzical look.

"I am not wearing ANY underwear. Isn't that what you were wondering?" Rachel bit her lip and awaited his reaction.

"In that case, since the mystery is solved, my hand can stop wandering," he bluffed.

"Oh, really? That's a pity; I was ready to let you disrobe me and take me right here, right now on your precious rooftop, but if your curiosity has been satisfied, then I guess that is that." Rachel faked disinterest.

"Never in a million years would I have thought you would be sans underwear in a common area," Will whispered to her ear.

"Ditto. You think I missed your navy blue boxers laying on the floor?"

"I wonder what this says about us..." Will let out a laugh.

"That we are passionate and fierce." Rachel took his hand off her stomach. "Or as San would say: horny." She placed it on her breast over the shirt and beneath the robe. Will almost moaned while squeezing gently.

"My love, if you are just teasing me, this is beyond inhumane."

"Says the one who has a hand between my legs but hasn't completely put the moves on me..." Rachel said with irony and obvious want.

"You mean this hand?" Will parted her folds with his thumb but stopped there when he heard her breath catch.

"Yes, Will, that one," she said, panting. "Don't make me frantic."

"Tell me what you want, sweetheart." Will retorted, seductively, while keeping her still.

"That would be easy since it's the same thing you do." Rachel arched her body in order to get more contact. Will bit her pulse point and took his hand off her breast to undo the knot on her robe, then he took it completely off and let it fall to the ground.

"Your body should be illegal, Rach." He slipped his hand beneath her shirt and brushed her side raising goosebumps. His other hand was still between her legs.

"It's off limits to anyone but you..." She blindly pushed his sweatpants down but didn't touch him.

"How did I get so lucky?" Will whispered positioning himself.

"You are calling this luck?" Rachel turned her head to him and raised an eyebrow, then braced herself on the edge of the ledge. "I'm calling it love." She smiled.

"I'm calling it whatever you want me to." Will kissed her neck twice before entering her slowly from behind. Both moaned at unison. He stayed still giving her time to adjust while he covered the hand she had gripping the ledge with his.

"Mmm, Will..." Rachel hummed, intertwining their fingers, giving him the green light he was waiting for.

"What have you done to me, Rachel Berry?" he whispered as he slowly pushed in and out of her.

"No clue but I love this," Rachel said before her head became slightly foggy. "Love you."

"Me too, all of you." Will moaned while pressing his thumb to her clit once.

"Yet you keep teasing..." Rachel threw her head back. Will replied thrusting into her a little more roughly causing her to cry out. Rachel was enjoying every second, but she wanted more. Feeling bold, she placed her free hand over his between her legs. Will was taken so off guard his pace faltered.

"Fuck, Rach." Will rarely cursed, and he never had in front of her, but he wasn't much in control of anything at the moment. Rachel was telling him exactly what she wanted and he found that exceedingly arousing. "You are definitely a threat to me."

"Oh, I know..." Rachel laughed. Not only she was highly turned on and enjoying herself and Will, her latest move had worked perfectly. Still pounding into her, Will covered her hand with his and closed it in a fist, only leaving her pointer finger out, under his.

"Sweetheart, this is so hot." He let out, apparently she had gotten the crudest side of him to surface. Rachel gasped, pressing her eyes shut while he massaged her nub with both their fingers. Will's breathing was all over the place, he was completely lost in their actions. He was inside her, but at the same time he was touching her and she was touching herself at his whim. He had no idea who was in control any more.

"Hmm, so hot..." Rachel panted as she felt close to reaching her climax.

"Sizzling." Will whispered to her ear moving their hands faster. He could read all the signs and knew she was close, which of course made him closer. Rachel wanted to reply, wanted the upper hand, but she was drowning in pleasure. Drowning in him. Her orgasm hit her hard and she screamed his name while she curled and uncurled her toes. She would have fell if Will hadn't been quick to let go of her hand to loop his arm around her waist.

"Oh my Jewish God, Will." Rachel tried to catch her breath while he was still focused thrusting into her. "You are a sex..." She couldn't finish her sentence. Unexpectedly, another wave knocked her down as Will came.

"Wow." Will breathed out, slipping out of her. "That was... yeah." He turned her to him, settled her shirt and wrapped his arms around her waist. Rachel still couldn't coordinate her body. "Are you ok?" He looked at her, Rachel's eyelashes were fluttering.

"Yes, that ... Will!" Rachel wasn't making any sense.

"What?" He laughed.

"I had ... you ... was that...?"

"Yes, sweetheart, you had your first multiple orgasm. With me, on my rooftop." Will hugged her grinning like an idiot. He felt like a teenager and he was ecstatic.

"You are a sex God." Rachel smiled finally being able to finish a previous sentence.

"Only because I have my muse." Will kissed her deeply.

Will and Rachel took a bath together. They were at opposite ends of the bathtub, just staring at one another while their soaked bodies recovered from their activities. Rachel was still in awe; she couldn't believe the things Will could make her experience. On the other hand, Will had never felt so primal in his life. They were now filled with energy and ready to tackle their day to its knees. They got ready fast and exchanged "break a legs" between kisses and plans to have dinner together at her apartment. The beginning of the end of their honeymoon was idyllic.

A week went by. Auditioning had been hard on both Will and Rachel. They had managed to get some good feedback, yet not a single call back. Therefore, for Rachel, the week of auditions had been exhausting, challenging and futile. She was very disappointed. Will had been supportive, but he was concerned as well. Maybe daring to dream big again, being over thirty years old had been a mistake, he thought... at the same time he wanted to cheer Rachel up, but he was going to start failing at that soon and he knew it. Success was something Rachel was always going to long for, and she was always going to want it by yesterday. He loved her for that drive, yet that could mean he was going to see her crushed often. Now that their break was over and they would be very busy, all he cared about was keeping them together. Life was getting very real, and he wasn't going to let reality break their spell without giving a good fight.

Will had his first class in the morning, while Rachel had hers roughly at the same time. In his case, the students were mildly receptive. He had a group of twenty very eager teenagers that had their eyes on the prize. They weren't anything like his Glee kids, yet, no one stood out for him in this group, which to Will, was alarming.

For her part, Rachel enjoyed her Drama class even given the fact that she thought of it as being quite basic. Her professor, a sixty-something lady seemed proficient and ruthless, yet Rachel had managed to make her smile by channeling Santana in an improvisation exercise. Even though Rachel desperately wanted more than a smile cast towards her, given how her auditions had gone, she was making an effort to take whatever was thrown at her. So, in her book, a smile was a decent start.

It was close to lunch time when Will left his office to get a book from the library. He walked the corridors and couldn't help but feel a bit old. Here he was, at another school where he felt he hadn't been able to reach his students like he had years ago. And just like back then, he was worried about Rachel making friends. He smiled at the thought of her and then sighed, hoping she was having a good first day.

Rachel was walking at a fast pace down the hallway. She was carrying her heavy backpack and was wearing a gigantic smile on her face yet she felt lost in the building. She asked a student for directions but the young boy had no clue who Mr. Schuester was. Just as she was about to text Will and sacrifice her surprise in order to find him, she felt someone tapping her shoulder. Rachel slowly turned and her eyes met a tall African American man staring at her in confusion.

"Hi." Rachel said, shyly.

"Hello, I'm Principal Morgan. I thought you were someone else." The man said crossing his arms.

"Oh." Rachel replied as a realization hit her: the man had obviously thought she was Shelby. "I'm Rachel Berry. I'm looking for William Schuester's office." She smiled. Rachel felt Principal Morgan's eyes on her, and felt for him, believing she was Shelby was the most honest mistake in the world. Rachel reasoned she should have expected something like this to happen. Will was, after all, replacing her biological mother. This was Shelby's former boss and this was the school she had worked in not so long ago. Rachel wished she had thought about this before jumping on the idea of visiting Will.

"That's his office." Principal Morgan pointed at a door a few feet away from her. "We still need to put his name on it." Rachel was outraged at that, her boyfriend deserved to be acknowledged. To her, that meant his name should have been on that door the moment he was hired. She bit her lower lip to sensor herself and avoid making a scene. When she was thinking about what to say next, Will saved the day.

"Rach?" Will approached her and his boss.

"Hi." She smiled at him widely.

"Mr. Morgan, this is Rachel Berry, my girlfriend. Sweetheart, this is Principal Morgan, my boss." This was the first time Will had introduced Rachel as his girlfriend, which made him and her exchange a warm smile.

"We've just met," said Mr. Morgan, looking at the couple. He was now curious. Shelby had been the one who had sent Will's resume to the school board, and now Will was dating her look alike? The man was confused. Rachel stared at him, sensing his intrigue and something else she couldn't quite place.

"That's true. I was looking for you, which proved to be difficult since your office is missing your name." Rachel smiled at Will, who was shaking his head at what she had just implied very politely. "Thanks for your help Mr. Morgan; it's been a pleasure meeting you."

"Likewise." The man paused. "I have to ask, are you related to Shel-Ms. Corcoran? You are her spitting image." Principal Morgan finally voiced his question, maybe letting out more than he wished. Will locked eyes with Rachel and his heart broke a little, not only had his boss struck a nerve, he had asked a yes or no question. There was no way Rachel could deflect.

"No, I'm not." Rachel replied coldly.

"You look just like her." Mr. Morgan looked at Will. "Are you in contact with her?"

"Not at all. As you know, we used to coach rival school choirs, but we were never close," Will stated. "We respect one another as colleagues and that is why she recommended me to replace her, but we are not in contact."

"Yes, I know, silly me." Mr. Morgan looked down for a beat, then up and at the couple. "I should go back to work. Welcome again, Will. Nice to meet you, Rachel." And with that the man marched down the hallway. Will and Rachel exchanged a look. They both sensed something strange about the man.

Will took Rachel to his office. It wasn't big but it was better than the one he had at McKinley.

"I wasn't expecting you, Rach." Will locked the door and kissed her quickly.

"I figured I would surprise you. Plus, I have something for you." She winked at him and walked to his desk giggling.

"Rach, sweetheart..." Will stopped his sentence there. Fantasies started flood his head. Fantasies about Rachel, her skirt, his desk...

"It's not what you think, Will!" She laughed. "You and your dirty mind ... I come baring gifts!" She smiled opening her backpack.

"I'm sorry." Will blushed and neared her. She was starting to take pink items from her bag. "What is all this?" Will laughed leaving the book he was carrying on his desk.

"We need to personalize your desk." Rachel handled him a pink frame with a picture of them kissing with the Statue of Liberty in the background.

"Honey, this is so sweet. Thank you." Will placed the frame next to his desk lamp.

"This way you won't be missing me as much and your students will know you are off the market." Rachel smiled gingerly before giving him a few more items, such as a pink tissue box (just in case one of his students would cry in his office like she had once or twice), a white and pink rubber ball (autographed by none other than Rachel Berry for him to squeeze whenever he would get stressed) and a pink and lilac mug that read "Boyfriend of the year".

"Rach, you are the best." Will laughed. He found her jealousy adorable.

"Oh, I know, see? I'm being practical. Instead of being moody and irrational thinking about you and your students, I'm giving you presents and, at the same time, warning them. Smart, huh?" Rachel closed her bag and grinned victoriously while Will stared at her lovingly.

"This is perfect." He held her hands in his.

"It was either this or you getting my name tattooed, but that seemed a bit excessive and this is more visible." Rachel joked. "How was your day?"

"Rach, I love you. You might be a bit crazy but I love this." He paused. "My day has been okay, yours?"

"Okay too, but I will tell you all about it at dinner. Now, we should have lunch." She walked towards the door; it felt very strange to be in what used to be Shelby's office.

"True. Thank you for surprising me, Rach." Will kissed her deeply before letting go of her hand to lead them out.

"You are welcome, Mr. Schuester." She giggled and crossed the door. He followed her and they walked side by side towards the cafeteria. "Was it me or did your boss seem..."

"Too interested about her? No, it wasn't just you, Rach. I saw it too." Will finished her sentence, feeling it may be painful for Rachel to say her mother's name.

"It might have been strange for him to see me, but at least we know she never told him about me..." Rachel looked down.

"She doesn't deserve to call you her daughter," Will replied softly. He wanted to hug her but they were at his work place and there were people watching.

"I know, and it's fine she never mentioned me, really. We are strangers to one another. Just be careful, though, Will. It does look like your boss and her were romantically involved." Rachel nodded.

"I know, but don't worry about me. How are you feeling knowing this is a place she spent a lot of time in? I mean, I know you are here for me and that you want to be strong but I know you, Rach..." Will sighed.

"I won't lie. It is bizarre, but I promised a certain someone that I wouldn't let her get to me, so I will not." Rachel said with honesty.

"I'm proud of you, Rach." He paused deciding to drop the subject. "Hungry?"

"Yes." She replied smiling with gratitude. "I'm also curious about the auditorium. Would you show me around Mr. Schuester?" Rachel laughed.

"Of course I will, but under one condition." He stopped to open the door of the cafeteria. "You have to sing for me."

"Oh, absolutely!" Rachel beamed. "You know what? It's funny calling you Mr. Schuester again."

"I knew you were enjoying that I enjoyed introducing you as Rachel Berry, my girlfriend." Will said grabbing two bottles of water.

"I know! I so wanted to kiss you when you did. .. and it felt surreal!" Rachel smiled.

"I could tell." Will paused. "Do you feel like having fruit salad for lunch? I don't see many vegan friendly options here."

"Sure, sounds good. Soon enough we'll be calling it Sherry salad." She laughed. "It's one of our many inside jokes after all..."

"Sherry salad..." Will laughed too. "Did you wear my favorite skirt on purpose, Rach?" He whispered knowing no one could hear him.

"I may or may not have, Will." She elbowed him playfully.

"You are terrible." He laughed.

"And you love me for it." Rachel winked at him for the third time.

They ate on the benches by the football field. Will still felt pretty much like an outsider at his new job but having Rachel by his side made him feel more at home. Deep inside he knew she must have needed him too, and he wondered if anything had gone wrong with her classes. She had said absolutely nothing about college, which wasn't like her at all. Yet he knew when not to push a subject; he would wait until she was ready to share.

Once they finished eating, Will took Rachel to the auditorium. It was twice as big as the one they had and the piano seemed to be brand new. Since they were alone, they walked hand in hand to the stage and sat closely on the piano bench.

"What should I play?" Will asked her. His eyes were shining; he couldn't wait to hear her sing for him. Will had been looking for Rachel's "it factor" in every student he had heard that day but he hadn't been able to spot anyone remotely as charismatic as his girlfriend.

"Any requests?" Rachel said crossing her legs.

"Well, it has to be something I know. Other than that, feel free to choose whatever you want." He said placing his hand on her thigh and settling her skirt.

"Hmm ... there is a duet I know you know ... and that way we could sing together." Rachel played with a loose strand of her hair. "Or would that be cheesy Mr. Schuester?"

"Are you saying that song is cheesy? I don't agree, then again I have been accused of being cheesy myself... " Will laughed. "But you should know every time I hear Endless Love, I see you chasing me around the piano. If we sing it now, I can't make any promises not to..." Rachel covered his mouth with her hand.

"Will!" She giggled blushing furiously. "Okay, we need another song..." She uncovered his mouth.

"What about this one?" He said starting to play "You can't always get what you want", then looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"It's quite ambitious to sing it with a piano arrangement, but I'm up for the challenge if you are." Rachel nodded.

"Awesome, I've always wanted a slower version." Will smiled at her.

"Let's give it a try, then." Rachel moved closer to Will.

"Aright, three, two, one... " Will smiled at Rachel and started playing the song.

_You can't always get what you want  
>You can't always get what you want<br>You can't always get what you want  
>But if you try sometime you'll find<br>You get what you need_

Rachel sang looking at Will, who embodied both what she wanted and needed. She finished and placed her hand on his leg, waiting for him to take the next verse.

_I saw her today at a reception  
>A glass of wine in her hand<br>I knew she would meet her connection  
>At her feet was her footloose man<em>

He sang locking eyes with her. Rachel joined him in the chorus. Both smiling widely. They couldn't help but think they should have had more duets together in Glee.

_No, you can't always get what you want  
>You can't always get what you want<br>You can't always get what you want  
>And if you try sometime what you' just might find<br>You get what you need_

Rachel closed her eyes and belted out the last "what you need", then proceeded to sing the following verse alone.

_And I went down to the demonstration  
>To get my fair share of abuse<br>Singing, "We're gonna vent our frustration  
>If we don't we're gonna blow a 50-amp fuse"<em>

She winked at Will and he sang along with her.

_Sing it to me now..._

_You can't always get what you want  
>You can't always get what you want<br>You can't always get what you want  
>But if you try sometimes well you just might find<br>You get what you need_

They ended the song together, amazed by the results. They sounded great, and even on the fly and with no practice at all, their twist on the legendary Stones song was unique and award-worthy.

Rachel clapped her hands and Will made a bow.

"Yay! We did it Will!" She hugged him. "We need to do this more often."

"We will. As often as you want." He kissed her quickly.

"Amazing, that being said, I should go. This was a great warm up; I have a singing class in half an hour." Rachel smiled and stood up. She had killed two birds with one stone. Will followed her.

"Now I'm going to want every day to be like this one, Rach."

"That was the plan." She giggled.

"I should have known." Will laughed and opened the door. "Oh, and just to spoil you a little. I might have a present for you at home, but you are only getting it if you spend the night." Will said faking seriousness.

"A present ... well, in that case I have no option but to stay at your apartment. Is there a couch where I could sleep, Mr Schuester?" Rachel batted her lashes purposely overacting.

"I'm sure we can figure something out, Rach." He laughed.

"It's a done deal, then. Have a great day, Will." Rachel blew a kiss at him and left.

Will went back to his office and arranged every item Rachel had given him. He sat on his chair and laughed out loud at how his desk now looked. It was completely lacking a masculine touch and Noah Puckerman would have said he was whipped, yet Will didn't mind. He would proudly drink his coffee in his brand new girly "boyfriend of the year" mug.

A knock on the door interrupted Will's blissful thoughts.

"Come in," Will said said from his chair. The door opened and Principal Morgan entered the office wearing a concerned look.

"Sorry to bother you, Will. Do you have some spare time? I would like us to have a word," the tall man said sitting in front of him.

"Yes sure," Will replied not knowing what to expect.

"This conversation we are about to have is of a personal nature," Principal Morgan said placing his hands on Will's desk and staring at the tissue box. Will could see his new boss suppressing his laughter.

"I'm listening." Will cleared his throat now practically sure this talk he was about to have concerned Shelby.


	14. Chapter 14

"**Bricks"**

**Chapter XIV**

Rachel crossed the door letting out a deep sigh, she had survived her first day of college. She was slightly confused, though. Rachel had been ready for college all her life and she assumed the stakes would be incredibly high; however, as she saw it, most of her assignments didn't sound as such. She wasn't convinced that watching musicals could be categorized as any kind of homework. She grinned thinking about it. If her first day was any indication, college was going to be amazing, and she would definitely stand out. Granted, the competition – because that is how she saw her fellow students – seemed ferocious, but she was confident no one could match her drive. On top of that, what were the chances any of them would have a vocal coach wrapped around their finger? The brunette was lost in thought looking for her iPod when she felt Will's hand taking hers. She could recognize his touch instantly.

"Hey, stalker," Rachel said turning to face Will.

"Stalker? I thought you would appreciate me being here." Will smiled and kissed her cheek before taking her backpack from her shoulder and slinging it on his.

"Of course I do. You can stalk me any time" She squeezed his hand, grinning. "Thanks, that was heavy; you are always so chivalrous."

"My pleasure. How was your first day?" Will started walking. He had seen her exit the house of study and Will could read her body language, which meant he already knew she had had a wonderful start; however, he couldn't wait to hear her say it. He could already picture her describing every single detail with shiny eyes and a huge smile.

"It was quite pleasant. Classes seem to be easier than I thought they would be, though."

"Rach..." Will tried to warn her.

"Don't worry. I haven't challenged my professors just yet." She laughed. "Did your Glee 2.0 kids give you any trouble?"

"None whatsoever, even though they were hesitant to learn my favorite Journey song." Will said sighing.

"William Schuester, please tell me you are not whoring 'Don't stop believing' around," Rachel said seriously, causing Will to burst into laughter. "And don't you dare laugh at me! That song has a lot of history! Pick a different band for crying out loud!"

"Are you jealous, Rach?" Will burst into laughter. He had always found it endearing how Rachel could be childish and an old soul at the same time.

"That depends, does the girl who sings MY part sound as good as I did?" Rachel's tone got pitchy; she was at the very least irritated.

"Relax, no one sounds that amazing." Will chuckled. He couldn't believe Rachel was about to make a scene because of a song; then again, he should have known that was exactly what she would do.

"Boyfriend, don't set yourself up for disaster and disappointment and decide on different song instead! In fact, don't give anyone ANY of the ones we did in Glee. Not mine, at least. Take this as an opportunity to chart uncharted waters." Rachel nodded. She really couldn't stand the idea of Will recreating her old Glee club, THEIR old Glee club. "I could help you with a new set list..." She stared into his eyes awaiting an answer. In all honesty, she had wanted him to ask for her help.

"That actually is a great idea, Rach. I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner." Will was loving this. In a way, he and Rachel were settling every argument they had had in the past. "I guess if you want to help me out and have the time to do so we can make it work." Will intertwined his fingers with hers, his work could pull them closer together instead of pushing them apart. That was very new to him.

"We are going to have a lot of fun! Go team Sherry!" Rachel giggled swinging their joined hands. Her opinion mattered to him and that was what she had longed to hear ever since she was his student.

"You are enjoying this too much." Will narrowed his eyes; there had to be a catch somewhere .

"Well, this means I basically have creative control over your group... and it also crowns me as your honorary co-director, not to mention me helping you puts us in the same room for many hours, singing and dancing. And let's not forget you would be owing me one. What is there not to enjoy?" Rachel smiled widely.

"You are right." Will nodded. "It sounds wonderful."

"This is strange. You are agreeing with everything I suggest; what did you do?" Rachel stopped walking and looked straight at him.

"Nothing, I swear." Will laughed.

"Come on, Will, I can read you as well as you can read me, and there is something you are not telling." Rachel could smell something was off. "Spill."

Will couldn't keep things from her, nor did he want to, especially when they were so comfortable around one another. Moreover, she looked so cute trying to get to the bottom of things that there was no point in going in circles. Instead of heading to either of their places, he opted to grab coffee to go from a cart and sit with her under a tree on her campus. He couldn't predict how emotional Rachel could get after hearing what he had to say, so he preferred her to be sitting while he proceeded to do so.

He told her every minuscule detail about the conversation he had with his boss. As it turned out, Mr. Morgan had indeed been involved with Shelby; until one day, all of the sudden, she ended the relationship, turned her resignation, packed her bags and left without saying where. It had been close to four months since the principal had heard a word from her, and he was trying to reach her.

Will hadn't been able to answer his boss's questions, which put him in a fragile position since the man was desperate and didn't know Will enough to trust him. At the same time, if Will had known where Shelby was or how to contact her, he wasn't sure he would have helped the Principal, not because he wasn't touched by the man's story, but because Rachel was his priority and bringing her biological mother into her life could be a huge misstep.

Rachel felt like a monster but that piece of information brought her an incalculable amount of relief. She wasn't the only person Shelby had abandoned, so maybe there wasn't anything wrong with her; maybe that was just the way her biological mother was. At the same time, she was impressed with the way her boyfriend was protecting her. She couldn't help but think Will had some sort of sensor when it came to those who could potentially hurt her.

Will agreed with Rachel, that there was a pattern. It seemed like Shelby had trouble with commitment. As far as they knew, her only emotional tie had been Beth. That didn't mean Rachel wasn't questioning why her mother couldn't try to get to know her, to love her, but at least now she wasn't blaming herself. She wouldn't scrutinize her flaws looking for a culprit. Ironically, knowing more about Shelby was helping the brunette to let go. Confessing that to Will caused Rachel to tear up a little. Her mother would probably always be a growing pain for her. She was Rachel's unfinished business.

After he had comforted her with kisses, hugs and motivational speeches, Will and Rachel made a detour to her apartment. Will fed the still unnamed kitten, while she packed her overnight bag and picked up the things she would need the next day. Then they headed to his place, where Will's gift was waiting for Rachel.

She entered his apartment and headed straight to the kitchen to make them a snack, while Will carried her bag to his bedroom and looked for his very well hidden gift. Rachel was setting the table, when Will walked up to her with a mischievous look in his eyes and a hand behind his back. She smiled her mega watt smile in anticipation and stood still until he closed the distance between them.

"What are you hiding there, boyfriend?" Rachel raised an eyebrow; she loved surprises but hated to wait.

"Your gift, which casually, is more a gift for me than it is for you," Will said in utter ambiguity. "That is, if you decide to accept it..." He took her hands with his free hand. "You can say no and this could go back to my socks drawer, no pressure." He added. Rachel's heart was racing, trying to process what he was saying. She blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out how to reply.

"Am I going to need to sit, Will?"

"I don't know, maybe." He laughed nervously. "This is huge for us." He finally placed a small black box in her hands causing Rachel's jaw to drop open.

"Will..." Rachel felt like she was about to faint.

"Go ahead, open it." He smiled wide.

"I'm nervous now!" Rachel blurted out. "How can you do this to me, Will Schuester!"

"Just open it, Rach." Will uttered with a confidence he rarely showed. Rachel took a deep breath and opened the small box, unsure if she wanted to see its contents.

"I'm going to KILL you, Will!" She quickly reacted when she saw the pink post it that read _"Look in my back pocket." _

"I hope not." Will laughed. "So? Don't you want to see what it is?"

"I don't know, do I?" Rachel bit her lip.

"I think so..." Will scanned her eyes.

"What if I refuse to look in your back pocket? You are kind of freaking me out in case you haven't noticed, and I think that was your plan." Rachel tilted her head; she was just buying time. She was in fact curious as to what the gift was but she was also scared it might be what it seemed to be.

"Fine, close your eyes." Will smiled at her warmly. He wanted her to be surprised, not cause her to have a heart attack.

"Alright." Rachel took a deep breath and closed her eyes. As soon as she did, she felt Will's breath on her face. Her body trembled slightly in response. His lips touched hers softly and she relaxed a little into his sweet kiss. The truth was he had miscalculated; he wasn't expecting her to get THAT on edge.

"Ready?" he asked, pressing his forehead to hers.

"I hope so," she replied, keeping her eyes closed. Then she felt cold metal touch her skin, and sucked a breath. There was a heavy ring being placed on THAT finger, only it felt loose and heavy. Rachel's heart was about to jump out of her chest so she opened her eyes immediately and looked at her hand only to burst into laughter. "Oh, Will!" She giggled, staring at the key chain with a golden star and the keys of his apartment hanging from her finger.

"My apartment is closer to your school. This way, you can come here whenever you want." He laughed, still holding her hand.

"You are going to pay for this. You led me to think this was an engagement ring! I thought I might die! And don't think for a second that I am not aware that you did that on purpose so I would say yes."

"I couldn't resist playing a little joke on you." Will dropped her hand and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Do you accept my little gift?"

"What a question! Of course I do, you mischievous idiot!" Rachel wrapped her arms around Will's neck and kissed him soundly. "But you can't ever torment me like this again!"

"That was what I was hoping for." Will smiled. "Except for the part where you called me an idiot."

"You tricked me!" Rachel laughed.

"I know, and you looked so endearing. You should have seen your face, sweetheart." Will pulled her closer.

"I bet... but I have to ask, are you sure you want me to have access to your apartment 24/7? This could be an invitation for disaster. I mean, are you ready for a Rachel Berry invasion?"

"I'm looking forward to it." Will kissed her forehead.

"But this is a commitment, a titanic one." She looked over his shoulders at her hand holding the keys.

"I know, Rach." Will nodded."But we are committed, and I feel like we have been together for years."

"Me too." She kissed him. "You are aware that I will probably go through all your things while you are not here, and possibly rearrange some of them, right?" Rachel bit her lip, she had never had the keys to anyone's home except for hers. This was a milestone in her life.

"I don't mind. I have nothing to hide; besides, this is very practical."

"Not to mention this gives me the opportunity to surprise you as many times as I want." Rachel ran her hand down his cheek.

"Sounds like you already have something in mind." Will sat on his chair and pulled her with him, placing her comfortably on his lap.

"I believe it's safe to assume so." Rachel smiled raising her eyebrows and loosened his tie. "I feel like an adult right now. I mean, what a day! I saw your new work place. I met your boss, aka, Shelby's ex. We had an impromptu performance together. I started college and absolutely rocked it. You introduced me as your girlfriend. I marked my territory in your office. And now, I hold the keys to your palace." Rachel took off his tie and hung it on his chair.

"And how does it feel, Rach?"

"Amazing!" she practically screamed. "Also, I might need you to give me back the mug I gave you."

"Why? I love it. In fact, the school nurse 'awed' when she saw me holding it." Will laughed at the memory.

"Well, it needs to say 'Boyfriend of the century' now that you gave me this wonderful present." Rachel left the key chain on the table. "But now you saidthe nurse awed... I don't need your female co-workers and students to think you are this charming. I solely wanted them to be aware you are taken." Rachel nodded.

"I think they got the memo, Rach." Will shook his head.

"Mission accomplished, then. Now what do you say we snack and then work on your song list?" Rachel kicked her shoes off.

"I would love that." Will rubbed her thigh over her skirt. "Or..."

"We are never going to get your work done if we do that, Will." Rachel slapped his chest playfully. "But I'm flattered, Mr Schuester."

"You are making it difficult for me to think about my job when you are discarding clothing items and while wearing my favorite skirt, Rach." Will laughed.

"It was just my shoes and your tie, Will!" Rachel giggled. "But knowing this, maybe we should schedule a few make out sessions between songs. Would that do the trick?"

"Absolutely," Will said with excitement. This was working too well for them. "Do you have any assignments I can help you with?"

"No actually, I have to watch Moulin Rouge for my Drama class, but I know the movie by heart."

"You are going to be an advanced student in a heartbeat, Rach." Will smiled proudly.

"Granted. And the best part is that if I don't have to spend a lot of time doing my assignments, because let's face it I already have most of them in the bag, then I can audition more than I thought I would be able to." Rachel took her glass and sipped some orange juice.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Rach."

"Oh, you know I will, and it's touching that you care but don't worry. I know my limits." She kissed him quickly. "Mr Schuester..." Rachel giggled.

After spending two hours sitting on his bed listening to music and taking a few notes, Will and Rachel had agreed on a list of ten songs and their respective order. Sharing that task with his girlfriend had felt perfect for Will. Now he couldn't wait to hand the music sheets to his group. He really needed to get to know the kids in his school choir class. He wanted to be challenged again, but for some reason, he had a bad feeling about it all. He would think it through before admitting it to Rachel, but he found himself being more eager to audition than to teach. That scared him A LOT. If it wasn't for Rachel, he would be feeling like a washed out performer that could have became much more back in the day. So to add to that, that he was feeling like a burned out educator was a tough pill to swallow; not to mention, he feared Rachel might be disappointed at him if she knew. Will put his thoughts aside and concentrated on her, who was resting her head on his shoulder. Maybe he was just overwhelmed by his first day at a new job. Maybe.

"Will, what's wrong?" Rachel broke the silence. She could feel the tension on his shoulder.

"Nothing. I'm just tired, I guess." It wasn't a complete lie. He was exhausted, but that was not the reason for his silence.

"Then maybe you should lay down for a little while before we order dinner?" Rachel smiled. They had not planned to have take out, but she had decided they would.

"Good call." Will said before laying on his back and pulling her with him. He loved how their bodies fit.

"Tell me three things you have never told anyone before." Rachel said snuggling into him.

"What do you mean? What are you after, Rach?" Will was suspicious, could she be reading his mind?

"Nothing, I'm just making conversation. Humor me." She kissed his jaw. "Please?" She pouted. "You know that the more I learn about you the more I fall in love with you..."

"Well..." He gave in. "I've always had the theory that the spider in Matt's ear didn't get there on it's own..." He chuckled.

"Interesting, and who do you think might have put it there? If that was the case in point..." Rachel's eyes shifted, she hadn't expected him to say that. Ever.

"Santana." Will said without hesitation and Rachel covered her mouth with her hand in surprise. "I knew it!" Will said victorious. For years, he had suspected Santana but there was never evidence to prove a thing.

"How did you know that?" Rachel couldn't believe Will had figured it. Only she and her best friend knew the whole story.

"Matt had just broken up with her; it was too coincidental." Will nodded.

"Wow, how observant of you ... I'm so proud, Will." Rachel smiled at him. She loved how similar they could be, and this was proving Will Schuester was a mastermind, just as she was. "San was just trying to scare him. He was taking a nap in the library and she placed the spider on his nose but it... migrated. It was an accident." Rachel shrugged. "Promise me you will never tell San that you know; she still feels bad about it."

"I won't." Will took her hand in his, it was cute how protective of Santana Rachel was, even if she was defending an act as outrageous as accidentally planting a spider in someone's ear.

"Thanks. If you think about it, if that had never taken place we wouldn't have performed 'Endless Love', which led to my inappropriate and extremely shameful crush on you... Granted, it wasn't the right time for us back then but I've always recalled that fondly." She smiled. Rachel really liked that story. After all, that was the first time they had sang together.

"And look at us now, cuddling in my bed after a great day..." Will felt the air filling his lungs, he was really happy. In moments like this one, everything clicked for him.

"Tell me about it! Who would have thought we would be here one day? Oh, wait, San!" Rachel laughed.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"She can see things. I don't know how she does it, but she has this gift! I can't wait to tell her I have the keys to your apartment." Rachel kissed his nose. "Okay, next."

"I'm going to tell you this because everything went better than I planned. I called Santana to ask her what to wear for our first date. AND that is not it; I followed her instructions, even with her underwear choice." Will laughed.

"Will, that is lovely! She never told me..." Rachel laughed. "She likes you more than I presumed, you sneaky charmer." She kissed him. "Next!"

"I'm not proud of this, okay?" Will said sighing. This had been something he had even regretted at some point.

"Oooo, what could it be?" Rachel was really exited. There was a lot about Will she still didn't know, and she found this particular game very amusing.

"Remember how I recruited Finn?"

"Yes, you made him join Glee in exchange for not turning him in to Figgins after you found pot in his locker." Rachel nodded.

"What you don't know is I was the one who planted the drugs. I know it was wrong but I was desperate." Will locked eyes with Rachel and his heart melt when he saw her smile with him.

"William Schuester! That is SO wrong! I always thought maybe the drugs were Puck's! And to think you preached at me when I sent Sunshine to that inactive crack house!" She narrowed her eyes at him, remembering how guilty he had made her feel at the time.

"Hey! What I did wasn't right by any means but at least it wasn't dangerous, you little bandit!" Will narrowed his eyes at her this time.

"Excuse me? What part of inactive do you not understand?" Rachel was serious and she had a point.

"Rach..." Will needed to make her de-escalate.

"Don't Rach me. What I did was just as bad as what you did! And you were already a grown up!" She poked his chest with her accusing finger.

"Ok, fine. It was terrible. Now it's your turn." Will shrugged but he knew it was too late; Rachel would always hang that over his head.

"Well, the story of the spider in Matt's ear counts as one since I have never told anyone about it."

"Rach, that is not fair!" Will laughed.

"Sure it is! Do you want to have an argument about why it counts? Seriously, Will?"

"No, okay, I give up, it counts. Go on to number two then." He smiled.

"Hmmm... let me think, oh, I know! Do you know how I got this scar?" She pointed at the one on her forehead.

"No, and I've always wondered about it." Will traced it with his thumb.

"You have?" Rachel was surprised at his admission.

"Yes, Rach. I have." Will smiled, knowing now she was aware his "always" meant since she was his student.

"When we were six, San and I were BFFs. We were inseparable. There are pictures of us with matching headbands and all." She nodded smiling. "But one day we were on the swing set in my back yard and we were competing to see who could go higher, and I won. So San raised the bet and challenged me to jump... I did and my head hit the ground. That's how I got the scar, and that was also why I never talked to her again. It was silly but I was only six years old... By the time we were in high-school, she pretended she never knew me because I guess she was still hurt."

"Aw, Rach. That's quite a story." He hugged her.

"I know. Not even my dads know why we stopped being friends, and San and I have never talked about it. I'm glad we are friends again, though."

"Me too. Friends are important." Will sighed, he didn't have any. He had alienated all of them when he married Terri.

"Mhm." Rachel kissed him, she could hear the nostalgia in his tone. "So number three... you have to promise me you won't read too much into it, before I tell you."

"I can promise to try..." Will laughed. "You know you can tell me anything."

"Yes, I know, and after what you pulled by making my think you were proposing, you are not really entitled to overreact to this, but I thought I might warn you."

"Consider me warned." Will reassured her.

"I'm not planing on having children any time soon, but when I do, I won't just have one. Being an only child is lonely, so I want at least four." Rachel nodded examining his facial expressions.

"Rach..." Will laughed. "That is... you thought I would read too much into that?"

"Well, yes!" She shrugged.

"I think that's great. I wouldn't have just one kid, either." He brushed her hair. "There is all that pressure being an only child, not to mention, the loneliness you pointed out."

"You are an only child as well! I... I don't think I knew that!" Rachel almost screamed. "We have so much in common, boyfriend!"

"We do." Will laughed, it was strange how they were getting to know one another; there was no specific order and it worked.

"So you think your parents would like me? Not that I'm rushing you to tell them..." Rachel threw one leg over his.

"I think they would be happy to know I have someone special in my life, Rach, yes. But I'm not telling them on the phone." Will tried to answer her question without saying much. The truth was he had no idea how his parents would react to him dating a former student, but he didn't care because he was an adult; yet, pointing that out to Rachel would show the age difference between them.

"That makes sense, and don't worry, I know you are not ashamed of us. You introduced me to your boss, and your neighbors know a lot more than we want them to about us..." Rachel giggled.

"I would never be ashamed of us. If anything, I'm proud." Will rubbed her back.

"Me too, we are amazing. I love us." Rachel placed a kiss on his chest. Soon after they were both sound asleep.

The first week in this new chapter of Will and Rachel's life was about to be over. Rachel was still finding college to be far from a challenge, which discouraged her slightly, but she was happy to see the glass half full and audition in her spare time, even if she wasn't getting the results she had anticipated. For his part, Will felt numb when it came to teaching. His group was talented; they were more than average kids, but he wasn't moved by them at all, and he was sure that had to be reciprocal. He found himself dreading going to work every morning, and he was enjoying his auditions more than he ever thought he would. They provided an escape for him, call backs or not. He liked having something different to do every day. On top of that, Rachel and him were on solid ground. She helped him come up with assignments for his Glee club and he helped her perfect her monologues for classes. They included one another in their responsibilities and then they just enjoyed unwinding together. In a way, Rachel was also teaching his students and he was attending college.

Rachel had shed more than a few tears after an audition had gone awfully wrong. A casting director had called her "short" and she had just lost her temper in front of him. After which, she stormed out only to run to Will's apartment and demand he give her a massage. Will happily complied; he couldn't stand seeing her so sad. He also wanted to know the directors name, hunt him down, and kill him with his bare hands, but he never told that to Rachel, afraid she might encourage him. Instead, Will surprised her by announcing Mr. Morgan had requested his students perform a song in front of the whole school in only two days. According to his boss, he had forgotten to mention sooner that it was the School 15th anniversary. However, what Mr. Morgan did not neglect to point out was how tough an act it would be to follow the performances from the previous years, aka, those Shelby had orchestrated.

Listening to that, Rachel's body ignited. She now despised Mr. Morgan even more than she hated Lisa Montgomery. Moreover, she was not going to let Shelby's legacy threaten Will's future. It took her and Will about forty-five minutes and a call to Santana Lopez to come with a fool proof game plan to get the Principal off Will's back. Once they had the guidelines down, Will took a shower and Rachel took that as an opportunity to put part of their plan in motion. Breathing in and out, she knocked on the Montgomery's door, and waited. Lisa's smile faded at the sight of Rachel.

"Oh, it's you." Lisa didn't bother to mask how much she didn't like Rachel.

"Yes, hello, I'm sorry to bother you but... listen, I know you don't like me, but I was wondering if you are still single and looking." Rachel didn't beat around the bush.

"Is this a joke?" Lisa crossed her arms over her chest.

"You have no idea how much I wish it were but..." Rachel couldn't finish her sentence; all of a sudden, she felt a wave of nausea hitting her.

"Are you okay? You got pale, why don't you come in and sit?" Lisa said concerned.

"I'm fine." Rachel took a deep breath. "Thanks anyway." She leaned against the door frame, Rachel wasn't feeling fine yet she didn't want to enter that apartment filled with exotic animals. "So, are you still looking?"

"Yes." Lisa said looking down.

"Well, then Will and I would love to invite you to a small event at his work. There are many single teachers there, and one in particular who I think might be your type." Rachel nodded still feeling light-headed.

"Alright, why not?" Lisa conceded without a fight. Rachel would have smiled but the nausea was getting worse.

"That's exactly what I hoped to hear. I will slide the invite under your door tomorrow morning; have a nice day." Rachel said turning away.

"Thanks, you too." Lisa replied feeling very strange, then closed the door.

Rachel hurried to get inside Will's apartment and laid on his couch. Apparently, Lisa Montgomery caused her to feel sick. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. She needed her plan to work. Rachel wasn't stupid and she sensed how stressed Will was about his job. She took it to heart to be the one taking the weight off his shoulders. The brunette was confident their scheme would work, yet her stomach was turning...


	15. Chapter 15

**Bricks**

**Chapter XV**

The past two days had been exhausting for Sherry. Not only they had been actively invested in getting Will's Glee students ready for their first public performance, they had also been attending every single audition they could fit into their hectic schedules. As if that wasn't enough, Will was still sensing a lot of heat coming from his boss, and Rachel had been feeling under the weather.

With Will being the one to handle the execution of the performance, while Rachel was the puppet master, the couple was confident they would be able to impress the members of the school and probably placate Principal Morgan's continuous scrutiny. Rachel and Will knew the man had something personal against Will, and it was unfounded really. He wanted to locate Shelby, and he was convinced Will knew where she was. As a result, Mr. Morgan didn't trust Will, nor had he believed him when he had stated he had no clue about Rachel's biological mom's whereabouts.

Rachel thought it was very unfair that Will's job could be in jeopardy because his boss couldn't seem to let go of Shelby ending their relationship, not to mention it was completely unprofessional not to cut Will some slack. The brunette knew first hand how good of a teacher her boyfriend was, so her and Will were going to fight Principal Morgan the only way they knew how: with love. Or at least that was what they were aiming for.

Rachel was drinking iced green tea in an attempt to get rid of her nausea and an annoying, mild headache while she was going through Will's closet. Since the School Anniversary celebration was at six o'clock, and she was in attendance, she figured it was perfectly fine that he wore a vest. Rachel chose the perfect one and smiled already anticipating how much she would be cheering for Will and his students in a matter of hours. Will entered the room and stared at her wearing a pink tank top, matching sweatpants and blue stilettos. That crazy girl was his girlfriend, and he would never cease to be amazed about that being true.

"How are you feeling, Rach?" He neared her and placed his hand on her forehead to check if she had a fever. She had been throwing up in the morning, and he was worried she might have been taking on too many activities, one of them being to help him impress his boss.

"I'm fine, but these shoes are tougher to wear down that I thought. You may have to carry me home bridal-style tonight." She smiled before sipping some tea. "Would you be my hero, Will?" She giggled. Rachel was an expert at deflection, especially when she resorted to flirting to make Will forget about his inquiry.

"Always." He kissed her forehead neglecting his concern for a brief moment. "I see have chosen my outfit." He took the hanger she was holding and gave an approving look.

"Yes, I quite like how grey looks on you, but I need to pick a tie now ... and it has to match with my blue dress." She sat on the floor, laying her green tea next to her, and opened one of his drawers,taking his ties out like it was the most important task of her life. Will sat next to her.

"Okie-dokie." Will knew there was no point in trying to stop Rachel and suggest she get some needed rest; instead, he went through the drawer with her.

"You kept this?" Rachel suddenly saw the hideous tie she had given Will during her brief crush on him at the bottom of the drawer. She smiled once she worded the question; he had obviously kept her gift, which surprised her. It had been an unwanted, an inappropriate present at the time. In many ways, that blue tie was a symbol of something that couldn't be reciprocated, but it also showed appreciation and how Rachel would risk making a fool of herself in order to express something she considered worthy.

"Of course I did." Will laughed. "I would never have the heart to throw it away." He rubbed Rachel's back.

"I still can't believe I gave you this." She rested her head on his shoulder feeling some sort of redemption taking place. The memory if being rejected by Will was fading.

"Me neither." Will laughed before kissing the top of her head. "Sweetheart, are you sure you feel fine?"

"I'm confident I will feel better once your annoying boss and your desperate neighbor walk towards the sunset holding each other's hands." She smiled.

"Even if they don't, I just want you to feel well."

"Oh, I will, I promise. Also, I hope not to see the tie Suzie Pepper gave you..." Rachel picked up the tie she had given him and looked at it, sighing.

"You won't, long story short: Terri destroyed that one." Will nodded.

"That's the smartest thing she's ever done," Rachel said thinking how ironic that sounded. She also wondered if he had kept the one she had given him safe from Terri... "I think you should wear this today." She handed him the blue tie.

"You feel well enough to joke, huh?" Will laughed, convinced Rachel wasn't being serious, which was probably wishful thinking on his part.

"What gave you the idea I'm joking?" Rachel kissed him quickly and smiled. She was already sensing a negative coming from Will, and she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Rach, don't take this the wrong way. I love that tie because it came from you, but I'm not sure it's right for this event." Will wanted out of the situation. He knew he shouldn't be fighting Rachel, but he also thought that tie was awful. It was a memento, not something he would consider wearing, especially not in front of his colleagues.

"Of course it is suited for the occasion. You are a vocal coach. This screams vocal coach, Will." She pointed at the musical note, smiling from ear to ear.

"No, this screams 'teacher infatuated with his girlfriend.'" He tried to state using the wrong argument, then kissed her just to see if that could work on his favor.

"Which is a true statement, I might add. Please, wear it. It's going to be a great ice breaker for you and your students. Plus, you won't look so serious, and to be fair, it does match my dress." Rachel grinned.

"I don't know, Rach..." Will shook his head, he knew contradicting Rachel was dangerous but he was against wearing that tie. The last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself.

"Wear it, please. Who knows? Maybe if you indulge this girlfriend you say you are infatuated with she will reward you later tonight..." She said in a sultry voice before sitting on his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. Rachel was absolutely sure Will didn't want to wear the tie, and naturally, that made her want him to do so that much more.

"I'm listening." Will blinked twice almost unable to believe what he was about to agree to. Then his eyes connected with hers, and he knew he had lost the argument that had never really started.

Rachel and Will arrived at his school half an hour early. They had taken a taxi but Rachel decided they would get out of it two blocks away from his workplace so she could kiss him intently. They had agreed public displays of affection were not on the table while they were at his school, so Rachel's solution fit and Will loved it. Her support was all he had at the time being. True, Will wanted to impress his boss and the school board, and he desperately needed to get out of Shelby's shadow, but in essence, he wanted to make Rachel proud of him. The brunette herself was the toughest kind of critic he could think of.

Will was carrying Rachel's matching blue purse when they set foot at the entrance of the building. If it wasn't for the fact she was taking pictures of him like he was the most interesting subject in the whole universe, any bystander would have undeniably reached the conclusion Rachel had Will wrapped around her tiny finger.

"Ready to shine, Mr. Schuester?" She grinned retrieving her purse.

"Only if you are ready to cheer, Rach." He smiled back. Will was nervous but Rachel provided the confidence boost the doctor had ordered.

"Of course I am. In case you haven't noticed, I have been practicing my clapping." Rachel replied, fighting the urge to take his hand.

"That's my girl." Will put his hands inside his pockets battling temptation as well.

"Damn right." Rachel giggled. "So where do you want me? Backstage with you or among the audience? We didn't discuss that not so small detail, Will."

"For now, I think you could give me a hand backstage, Rach." He said considering she could in fact help him with his students.

"Sounds good. Once I've assisted you, I can go look for a good place to sit. Remember, I need to make sure Lisa and the Principal are in close proximity." Rachel winked at him.

"Perfect." Will said leading her backstage to meet his students, who automatically stared at them.

Will greeted the Glee club and introduced Rachel, causing the girls to whisper while the boys loudly said "Go Mr. Schue!" making Sherry exchange a look and a warm smile. Then Will gave the kids one of his motivational speeches while Rachel took a few more pictures. Once the speech ended, Will and Rachel proceeded to help the Glee members with their vocal exercises. Everyone was responding well to them. It was clear Will and Rachel made a good team, which was a bonus for Will since he thought that the couple had practically passed every single test there was. On the other hand, Rachel had never been more proud of anyone. She was staring at her boyfriend in awe. In a way, it was surreal to be working together and to see him coaching those teenagers. Just looking at him made her heart melt.

Ten minutes prior to the performance, Rachel wished the Glee club to break all their limbs and blew a kiss to Will. Then, she went looking for a place to sit and saved a chair for Lisa, who arrived shortly after. They sat awkwardly next to one another and made small talk revolving kittens until Mr. Morgan sat in front of them and Rachel saw an opportunity to introduce the two. Despite the fact that the Principal was a moody man, he smiled at the two women and shook hands with them like a gentleman. He was completely unaware of what Rachel had planned and he was still very intrigued by her resemblance to his former girlfriend.

The brunette took advantage of having Mr. Morgan's attention and talked about Will. She sang his praises when it came to her boyfriend and his hard work coaching the club. In addition, she made sure, not so subtly, to let out the fact that Lisa was single. But she was interrupted by the lights going out when she was about to ask Mr. Morgan if he had a special someone in his life.

The Glee kids started to sing Robbie Williams' "Let me entertain you", which had been Rachel's suggestion and a perfect fit for the night. Her eyes widened as she saw the school members dancing in their places and singing along. "Mission accomplished," she smiled and thought to herself while pressing the rec button on her digital camera. Meanwhile, Will was peeking from behind the curtain. His students were doing a brilliant job, especially considering this was their first time performing in front of their peers. For a moment, he wished Rachel was by his side sharing his pride and happiness with him, but then he saw her holding her camera while smiling impossibly wide. That girl had changed his life and he was overwhelmed by love and gratitude towards her.

The song ended and the crowd went insane. A standing ovation signaled how much the performance had been liked. Even the principal was standing and nodding in approval. Rachel sighed in relief when he stood up and blocked her view. Phase one of Sherry's plan had been a success. The one thing that would make the moment perfect was hugging Will, Rachel thought for a second while she was still jumping up and down in her place, both to celebrate the performance and in an attempt to see Will over Mr. Morgan's shoulder. Lisa saw Rachel searching for him and couldn't help but smile. Somehow, the couple had grown on her. They were too cute to dislike.

"Do you want me to tape the next one?" Lisa asked Rachel who blinked three times before replying.

"Would you be so kind? I'm dying to go backstage." Rachel admitted smiling in anticipation.

"I'm offering, aren't I?" Lisa nodded.

"Thank you so so much, Lisa." Rachel handled her the camera. "I'll be back once the second and final song is done."

"No biggie." Lisa smiled at Rachel for the first time since they had met. "And thank you." The woman whispered looking at Mr. Morgan. The two women exchanged an accomplice grin and Rachel left running as fast as her shoes let her.

The students were changing while the Cheerleaders performed for the audience. Will, who was alone backstage, was typing a text message for Rachel asking her to join him, when he saw her running like a mad woman in his direction. She jumped into his open arms and peppered his face with kisses.

"We did it, Will!" Rachel said, excited as he put her down carefully. She was so happy right at that second that even the intensity of her headache had diminished.

"Yes, we did, sweetheart." He nodded looking straight into her eyes. He would have kissed her if he wasn't so certain his students were about to emerge. "I love you." He whispered, knowing that would do for the moment. Rachel simply smiled and traced his tie with her fingers silently bringing to his mind what she had promised to him earlier.

Will and Rachel heard the audience clapping and formed the Glee students in a straight line. They made their way back to the stage when they heard their cue. Leaving Will and Rachel sighing happily and now free to hold hands. That moment felt strange, they were adults now, but they were hiding. Both, Will and Rachel wondered if it was wrong at all to try to steal a kiss when no one was looking, but they didn't act upon that desire.

The second number was even a bigger success than the first. It had been Will's idea to have his students perform Queen's "We are the champions", a definite crowd pleaser. When they were finished, the Glee members vowed at the audience and left the stage only to come backstage and high-five with Will and Rachel, who would have finally kissed if they hadn't been interrupted by the teenagers.

After congratulating Will's students, Rachel excused herself and went to the bathroom, where she splashed her face with water. Probably, her high from watching the teens perform was crashing down, making nausea surface again. Stress was completely messing with her, she noted. Meanwhile, Will said farewell to his kids and joined Lisa and the Principal, who were candidly talking about Queen, which incidentally was their favorite band of all time. Rachel approached the three minutes later and smiled. Her idea was working smoother than she could ever had concocted.

"So what did you think Mr. Morgan?" Rachel asked, acting innocent.

"My expectations were met." He replied trying not to completely accept the fact Will had proved what he was made of.

"That is good, especially considering the short time Will had to prepare the performances." She nodded while making a point. Will was staring at his feet trying to hide his smile.

"I agree." The man answered quickly.

"Well, we should get going." Rachel linked her arm with Will's. "Is there any chance you could give Lisa a ride home Mr. Morgan?" Rachel looked at the Principal grinning, while both Lisa and Will were shaking their heads in amusement.

"We would offer to let you share the taxi with us but we are heading to Rachel's apartment." Will explained to Lisa, who was absolutely aware of what her neighbor and his girlfriend were trying to pull.

"You know, the kitty misses me too much..." Rachel added, nodding.

"I'm fine, guys, I can take a cab." Lisa replied, feeling the Principal was put on the spot.

"Will's apartment is on my way, actually." Mr. Morgan finally said.

"Thanks." Lisa smiled at the man, while Rachel took Will's hand and squeezed it.

"Wonderful!" Rachel grinned. "Goodnight Mr. Morgan, bye Lisa!" She said pulling Will's hand. Shortly after, the couple was gone, giggling in the inside of their taxi, and catching up with all the kissing they hadn't done before.

The next morning was a memorable one for Will. He and the Principal arrived at the school at the same time and his boss actually smiled at him. Whether it was because the man had liked the performances or Lisa, Will had no clue but he was happy Mr. Morgan's attitude towards him had changed. He texted Rachel about it and went to his office to gather song sheets for his students. The original doubts Will had had about him being tired of being a teacher were nowhere to be found that day.

Rachel didn't have classes so she made the most of it and went to a couple of early auditions. Then, she decided to stop by Will's apartment to take a nap before heading to the castings she had scheduled for later. She wasn't sure if she was tired because she hadn't been feeling well and the auditions were exhausting or because she had delivered on her promise to let Will tie her up with the blue tie, but she needed to get some rest and his apartment was closer to the location where her next casting was held.

As soon as Rachel started to unlock the door, she heard the Montgomery's door opening and turned.

"You! We need to talk." Lisa said crossing her arms.

"Hello, how are you doing today, Lisa? What can I help you with?" Rachel grinned pretending not to know what she wanted.

"How well do you know Joe?" Lisa closed the door of her apartment and walked towards Rachel.

"Excuse me, who?" Rachel guessed that was Mr. Morgan's first name, but she preferred to play dumb in order to gather some information about what had happened between Lisa and the Principal.

"Mr. Morgan, Rachel." Lisa smiled.

"Oh... do you want to come in?" Rachel offered without replying the question. Lisa entered the apartment. "Did you have a good time last night? Thanks for coming by the way." Rachel dropped her purse on the table and walked towards the living room.

"You are welcome." The woman said following Rachel, who sat on the couch and patted the place next to her for Lisa to sit in.

"So what do you know about him?" Lisa reiterated while sitting.

"Nothing except that he is Will's single boss. Also, he smiled at Will today... now the real question here is: what do YOU know? Did he talk about Will at all?" Rachel couldn't help it, she was curious.

"He didn't." Lisa said shaking her head. "Can I ask why you introduced us?"

"I believe you just did." Rachel smiled. "I am a good matchmaker, that is why." She shrugged. "What did you think of him?"

"He's interesting."

"Then I take you would potentially date him. Yay!" Rachel clapped her hands already celebrating a good plan going on the right direction.

"I don't know about that but he has my number." Lisa smiled.

"That is great! And this means you owe me one now." Rachel giggled.

"We'll see..." Lisa crossed her legs, she was starting to like Rachel but she still felt uncomfortable around her.

"Keep me posted, please." Rachel said before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, nausea was hitting her again.

"What's wrong?" Lisa put her hand on Rachel's shoulder.

"Nothing, I am not feeling my best today. Don't worry." The petite brunette said breathing in and out.

"Is there anything I can do? This is the second time I've seen you nauseous."

"It's fine, this will pass soon. I'm just exhausted." Rachel opened her eyes and made an effort to smile.

"I will get you a glass of water." Lisa inquired standing up.

"Thanks." Rachel started to fan herself with her hand.

"I don't want to sound nosy, but... could you be pregnant?" Will's neighbor casually suggested, while walking to the kitchen.

"Of course not! That would be 98.5% impossible! I'm just stressed." Rachel said still weak from the wave of nausea.

"Whatever you say but the walls are thin... I'm just saying..." The woman replied coming back with a glass of water.

"And what does that have to do with anything?" Rachel narrowed her eyes as Lisa sat next to her.

"I've heard you two." Lisa handed Rachel the glass.

"First of all, ew! And secondly, I've already told you, this is my stress acting up." Rachel drank the water. "I can assure you I am not with child. I just need to sleep, which is why I came here." Rachel shook her head.

"You sure?"

"Yes! I can't be pregnant. I'm not twenty-eight yet." Rachel left the glass on the coffee table.

"That is not how it works, though." Lisa let out a laugh.

"I know how reproduction works, thank you very much, Lisa, but I repeat, I am not carrying Will's offspring." Rachel's tone was getting pitchy.

"Right... well, I'll let you rest then but you know where to find me if you need anything." Lisa stood up once again.

"Thanks, Lisa. Good luck with the Principal." Rachel smiled before laying down on the couch. "Can you please let yourself out?"

"No problem. I guess I will see you later." The woman said before leaving.

Rachel tried to sleep but she couldn't. Lisa's words were echoing in her head. All of the sudden she was scared. She did have a few symptoms that could indicate she could be pregnant. The brunette shook her head and tried to push aside her thoughts but failed at it so she did the only thing she could think of at the time.

"What's up, Berry?" Santana answered her call.

"Absolutely nothing AT ALL. Why?" Rachel said, starting to get paranoid.

"B, you called me and are acting funny, what is it?"

"Nothing! Unless your sixth sense is pointing otherwise, which I hope it isn't." Rachel was being cryptic.

"My sixth sense? What happened to yours?" The Latina laughed.

"It stopped working a long time ago. But answer me, do you feel anything strange?" Rachel took the glass of water and drank some waiting for an answer.

"What? Berry what's wrong?" Santana was starting to get worried, she knew her best friend was hiding something.

"I haven't been feeling well lately, San, and today Will's neighbor said something about it..." Rachel said softly.

"Hey, tell me what that bitch said!" Santana already hated Lisa.

"She's not that bad actually."

"So you didn't call me to figure out the best way to get some revenge? Because I'm already having tons of ideas..."

"No." Rachel giggled for the first time in a while. "Retaliation is not needed, but she said I could be pregnant and now I can't sleep." Rachel admitted. "I need you to convince me I'm crazy. You are good at that."

"What? Why would she say that? Wait, how not well have you been feeling?" Santana started to have a bad feeling.

"I've been having headaches and nausea and I'm very tired, which..."

"Sweet Jesus, Berry!" Santana interrupted.

"Don't scare me, please! I can't be pregnant!"

"BS, you can! And it sounds like you are! Wow, a Sherry baby! Wow!" Santana laughed nervously.

"San!" Rachel yelled.

"What? You've been getting it on with The Schuester." Rachel's BFF said laughing hard.

"Don't say that!"

"What do you want me to say? It's true! You have been doing it!"

"Must you always be so crude?" Rachel huffed.

"Yes! And don't change the subject, Berry. If you are preggo, I want to know now! This is the mother of all news!"

"I shouldn't have called you. You are making this far worse."

"You called because you needed me to wake you the hell up; I'm doing that. Now stop being pissed at me because I didn't get you pregnant. You did!"

"I AM NOT pregnant! Stop acting as if you are sure I am!" Rachel yelled.

"Ugh, fine. Just tell me how the hell this happened? Weren't you careful?"

"We were... most of the times..." Rachel closed her eyes knowing what was coming.

"Berry!"

"San I'm on the pill, which you know since, as you might recall, it was your idea. I can't be having a baby. I am not twenty-eight!"

"Oh, no, you didn't say that! Rachel that is the most foolish thing I've heard you say in my life. You are having sex. You can be pregnant. It doesn't matter if it falls into your plan or not! Your plan is not an anti-conception method! B, your dads are going to flip!"

"I can't believe this; this is not happening. Please tell me this is just a dream and that you will break into song soon!" Rachel pleaded.

"Sorry, B, so are you going to buy a pregnancy test or wait for two days?"

"How do you know? Oh, right, we are synchronized... I've always found that peculiar." Rachel took a deep breath.

"It's not that strange between besties." Santana smiled.

"What should I do, San? I'm beyond scared now." Rachel hated admitting it. All of the sudden the world felt terrifying to her.

"Get a test! And don't tell The Schuester or he will freak. Unless... Wait; he loves kids. You think he tried to make you a mom on purpose?"

"No! He would never do that!" Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, what are you waiting for? Pee on a stick right now!" The Latina tried to encourage her friend once again.

"I can't!"

"Yes you can; you know how to pee. So go get a test, and then call me."

"What if it's positive?"

"Then you'll be a mommy."

"San!"

"What? You asked!"

"Now I think I am pregnant! San! I'm starting to feel like I am!" Rachel looked down at her stomach.

"Rachel calm down. We don't know for sure." Santana was trying to make Rachel think straight while fighting the urge to laugh.

"I'm going to get fat and have stretch marks and I will have to drop out from college and forget about being a legend and... I'm going to KILL Will!" Rachel started to ramble like she always did when she felt under pressure.

"Berry, you sound crazy. Go buy the damn test."

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because I don't need to. I'm pregnant!"

"Don't be stupid. You can't know that. I'm hanging up if you keep being this dense."

"Don't you dare!" Rachel's feelings were all over the place, so now she was threatening her only friend.

"Don't make me hang up and promise you will buy a test."

"I need to tell Will first. I can't keep this from him; besides, those tests are not reliable and I refuse to be a cliché." The brunette nodded.

"Whatever, B, but don't freak until you are sure there is a half vegan cupcake in your oven."

"Easy for you to say; you are not the one having a baby in nine months." Rachel shook her head.

"True."

"You should have said I am not either!" Rachel lashed out.

"Rachel don't be difficult with me, please. Leave that for The Schuester."

"You are right. How could I let him do this to me?"

"By spreading your legs?" Santana chuckled. She was trying to make Rachel laugh but was failing.

"Santana Lopez! He loves me and I'm quite sure he is the love of my life. Don't cheapen our love and the way we choose to express it!"

"A second ago you were blaming him."

"I know, but I can do that; he's the father of my unborn twins. I am entitled."

"It's twins now?" Santana couldn't fight her laughter any more.

"Well, if he is so fertile to have gotten me pregnant while I'm on the pill I think I might be carrying twins, yes. Ethan and Rebecca."

"Rachel you are too funny and I love you for that." Santana laughed.

The hours passed, and Will was finally home. He smiled instantly at the sight of Rachel's purse on the table. He took his shoes off and walked towards the bedroom careful not to make a sound. He stared at his girlfriend sleeping peacefully in his bed and let out a breath;, he could really get used to coming home to her. He laid on his side next to her and kissed her shoulder tenderly.

"What do you think you are doing?" Rachel opened her eyes and turned to him.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Will gave her an apologetic look and ran his hand down her cheek.

"No, you did not. I can't sleep." She huffed and pulled away from him.

"Do you want me to help you relax?" Will tilted his head and took her hand. He could see Rachel was slightly moody.

"Don't touch me, Will." Rachel freed her hand and starred into his eyes; she was upset.

"Alright, I see you've had a rough day." Will sighed. "I was just trying to help."

"You have no idea how rough it has been, so don't be condescending." Rachel turned her back on him and closed her eyes. "And what you were trying? Don't get me started on that. I'm not having sex with you."

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Tell me." Will wrapped his arms around Rachel thinking that might comfort her.

"Get your arms away from me! You've done enough already, Will Schuester!" Rachel slapped his arm and stood up.

"Rach..." He didn't know what to say. Rachel was showing erratic behavior and he didn't want to make it worse. Will sat up in bed and stared at her. "Look at me please."

"I don't want to." She replied walking away. Will got out of bed and followed her to the kitchen, where he grabbed her by the wrist.

"Let go of me." Rachel said almost groaning.

"Not before you look at me." He placed his other hand on her waist and made her turn slowly. "

"Unhand me right now." Rachel protested.

"Why are you upset?" He said pulling her closer.

"Because... because you are a moron!" Rachel yelled as she felt tears started to form in her eyes.

"Okay... how am I one?" Will said trying to figure out what had gone wrong. Just a couple of hours ago she had texted him that she loved him followed by hearts, which meant something big had to have happened since.

"Because this is all your fault! You and your dinners and your charming eyes and your perfect abs and that lame rooftop!" Rachel started to cry. "You did this! You, William Schuester, made me fall in love with you; you made me love you! Now my life is completely over!"

"I don't think I follow, Rach." He said being as clueless as he had ever been. She had practically yelled a love declaration at him, yet she was furious; nothing made sense.

"You are an imbecile and I hate you! Can you follow that?" She said before hugging him strongly, her brain and her body were contradicting one another.

"Baby, I know you don't mean that." Will wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair, still trying to figure out why Rachel was so upset.

"Don't call me baby!" She cried harder punching him on the chest.

"I'm sorry." He whispered covering her hands on his chest with his. "Please tell me what happened."

"I told you! You happened! Pay attention!" She said between sobs now gripping his shirt tightly.

"I thought us happening was a good thing." Will let her hands go and rubbed her back. "It is, Rach. You know that."

"Well, it's clearly not!" She looked up at him. "This is all a disaster of epic proportions because there is an us, ugh!"

"Rach, I don't know what you are talking about, what is a disaster?" Will was really confused.

"I'm pregnant Will!" Rachel replied before bursting into tears.

Will was in complete shock, still holding Rachel tightly in his kitchen. Her words had hit him like a ton of bricks and there was a lot he wanted and needed to say, but he knew he had to wait for her to calm down, otherwise there was a big chance he might get slapped. All of the sudden he felt the need to curl up in bed with Rachel and hide under the covers. He longed to make her feel safe but at the same time, he was too numb to react. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath trying to regain his focus but Rachel's tears on his shoulder were breaking his heart. How do you tell the person you love the most that you don't believe creating a life is a bad thing? He asked himself knowing he would probably never be able to have a right way to phrase that. If anything, Will wanted to build a future with Rachel, not to steal her youth. Now he couldn't hep to think he had done just that.


	16. Chapter 16

**Bricks**

**Chapter XVI**

Rachel cried for the longest ten minutes of Will's life. She was loud, shaking and clinging to his shirt for dear life. He was trying not to be desperate and to give her time to recover, but it was ridiculous how useless he felt at that moment. Will was incapable of making Rachel's fears and sadness go away. He stroked her hair, rubbed her back, kissed her head and held her as tight and close to him as he could while he was mentally cursing for not having a third arm to pour some water for her.

For her part, Rachel was feeling lost. She was chocking in anxiety, anticipating the worst case scenario unfolding, imagining her dad's disappointed faces, the whole population of Lima whispering, Broadway closing its doors on her, vomit on her favorite shirt ... a baby crying out of pitch ... everything was too much. Every thought came with its own alarm until she pressed her head to Will's chest. She heard his heart beating as fast as hers and instinctively she smiled for a brief second, then looked at the man holding her, straight in the eyes and sighed. He wasn't running for the hills, yelling at her or demanding to know more details. In addition, there was no sign of Will being mad at her for the way he had been treated since the moment he had entered his own apartment. Rachel's eyes widened as her chest was rising and falling fast, she had never loved and resented someone in equal measure before. Will could see the conflict playing within her but again, didn't say a thing. He needed Rachel to give him any kind of sign that it was okay to speak. Under no circumstance, would he push until he had no doubts that she was ready to hear him.

"Will, I'm scared." She finally said in a shaky voice but without breaking eye contact.

"Shhh." He kissed her forehead. "It's all right to be, but I'm here with you. We are scared together. Do you hear me?" He whispered, then smiled when he saw her eyes soften; she was now staring at him lovingly. For Rachel, his words were more than a simple "I love you." His statement was filled with legitimate concern and emotion, but more importantly, he understood how hard of a time she was having, and he was honest enough to let her know they were on the same page. That alone meant the world to Rachel.

"I love you so much... I didn't mean anything I said before, Will. I blame the pregnancy hormones for the outrage," she said, closing her eyes and pressing a kiss to his chest. For a second, Will felt that tender action was melting his heavy heart.

"Don't worry. I know you don't hate me, Rach." He wiped the tears from her eyes with his hand causing Rachel to open them again. "Why don't we sit and talk?" She looked down and took his hand, and they both shared the identical feeling as their minds were invaded by the same memory: them at the airport holding hands because walking to that airplane and towards the future was terrifying. They walked to his couch and then proceeded to sit.

"What are we going to do, Will?" Rachel said softly, realizing how worried he was. As angry as she had originally been at him, she was starting to perceive that he was affected as well, probably more because of her state than due to what she had just blurted out. She immediately regretted the way she had delivered the news.

"We will figure it out, Rach." He cupped her face with his free hand and made sure to stare right into her eyes, this was a key moment to reassure her of how much he cherished her, although he couldn't bring himself to kiss Rachel; he felt he needed to ask for permission. "Will you slap me if I kiss you right now?" He whispered, unsure of who needed the kiss the most.

"It's not like you can impregnate me with a kiss..." Rachel's lips curved into a small smile and she leaned to kiss him. Their ability to be sweet and caring under extreme pressure seemed like the light at the end of the tunnel. They both surrendered to that kiss as the sensation of being more together than ever became more powerful than their new concern. They wished they could never stop kissing, so they wouldn't have to deal with everything else.

"Sweetheart..." Will sighed breaking the kiss and easily lifting her to place her on his lap. "I love you." He smiled feeling the tension had broken.

"Me too." Rachel whispered. "But so much love has gotten us in trouble." She took his hand and placed it over her stomach. Will grinned lightly. He was still worried but she was asking for his touch now, and she wanted him to touch her in a place that had now became very intimate. When he thought Terri was pregnant, he had wanted to touch her belly and she never let him, and now Rachel was doing the exact opposite. She was claiming their "togetherness".

"Now tell me. Are you 100% positive there is a baby in here?" Will intertwined their fingers.

"Well, you know how atrociously I've been feeling and the symptoms add up, Will... besides we haven't always been careful... and it's babies, plural." Rachel replied staring at their hands. This was a new level of intimacy between them. In spite of the timing being terrible, she was amazed at how close they could still be.

"Babies? Plural?" Will was confused by Rachel's certainty. He actually wanted to laugh at her statement but he opted against it. It was better to get to the bottom of things without offending her with laughter.

"One little baby can't make me so sick." Rachel shrugged. It was moments like that one that reminded Will that as mature as Rachel was, her age still showed from time to time, especially when she was emotional, which was clearly the case.

"You are adorable, Rach, but maybe you are assuming too much. Have you even taken a test?" Will was starting to breath again. Even though suspecting a pregnancy made sense considering how she had been feeling, there was more than enough room to speculate that she could have been paranoid and reading too much into everything.

"But I FEEL pregnant." Rachel looked down at her feet. She was now starting to regret not listening to Santana when she suggested taking a test before talking to Will. She was also ashamed for lashing out at him the way she had. "And now I feel stupid for not making really sure but I was so frightened... and to make matters worse I unloaded on you. That was uncalled for. Please forgive me, Will."

"Honey, I understand." He said placing his other hand under her chin and tilting her head up so their eyes would meet. "But we need to be 100% certain." He caressed her stomach. "I can buy a test right now." He paused. "Whatever the result is, I'm here for and with you, Rach. I love you and that is not going to change."

"I know." She replied sighing, pressing her forehead to his, sharing the perfect imperfect moment; the sweetness and the sorrow.

Will rushed to the drug store. He hated leaving Rachel alone, however they had both decided that him buying the pregnancy test would spare her some stress. The last thing they needed was for her to have another emotional outburst. Granted, Rachel had a flair for the dramatic, but breaking down in a public place wasn't something neither her nor Will were looking forward to.

Before walking out of his apartment, Will had promised Rachel two things: that it wouldn't take him too long to be back and that he would get two tests just in case. Instead he got eight and still in record time. Will was overwhelmed. His mind was going a thousand miles a minute. A baby was clearly unplanned, and it was too soon for them, not to mention Rachel's dads could pretty much try to murder him if he had in fact gotten her pregnant. Aside from that, there was another detail, he hadn't introduced her to his family ... he felt pathetic. He was a man nearing forty years old trying to start again. It would probably kill all of his options if Rachel was really pregnant.

Will's heart was racing; he was panicking now that he wasn't paying attention to a crying Rachel calling him a moron. His own emotions were sinking in while in the very white aisles of his neighborhood drug store. First of all, he didn't just want to buy the pregnancy tests. He felt he ought to get Rachel something, but he was having trouble figuring out what to get in a drugstore. What to purchase for the woman who could possibly be carrying his... twins? He smiled at that thought. Only Rachel Berry could be jumping to that kind of conclusion at the worst of times.

He leaned against the shelf where the condoms were and tried to regain some strength, then breathed in and out a couple of times and walked down the aisle where the baby products were. As petrified as Will was, he wanted to desensitize himself now he was alone and not in front of Rachel. The possibility of them having conceived a child was too much to digest, but looking at baby gear was intense on more levels that he could count.

The bears holding ribbons, the bottles with little hearts, the colorful pacifiers... the countless brands of diapers... if they were expecting, many choices had to be made. Strangely enough, Will smiled while looking carefully at a little pink rubber tambourine that caught his attention. He let his mind drift for a brief moment thinking about little fingers, tiny toes, Rachel's features in miniature and lullabies. However, his silly – and in a sense, forbidden – daydream was short-lived; Will shook his head reminding himself that maybe this was just a pregnancy scare. He couldn't let himself be afraid nor could he start to hope for a baby. Especially not when he knew that wasn't what Rachel craved, and above all the things he wanted himself, Rachel was on the top of his list.

Will did long for a family and he could picture it with Rachel. He could already see them caressing her swelling stomach while reading maternity books together. He could picture them with a stroller in Central Park or picking the exact shade of pink to paint a nursery... but he knew he had to bookmark that dream; now wasn't the time. There were still things both he and Rachel needed to achieve, and they deserved to do so.

Will paid for all the products and made a mental note to avoid making eye contact with the boy at the register machine. He knew exactly how he looked. His hair was a mess, his forehead was sweating, his shirt was still wet from Rachel's tears and his face was pale and still in shock. If he had to guess, the employee was either pitying him or laughing deep inside. Will felt miserable at that second. He was a grown up, yet he looked hopeless when he had to be strong for Rachel and himself. Granted, in Will's head, that boy by the machine knew too much about his personal life by just looking at what he was buying, but if he was letting that fact mess with him, there was no way he could try to be confident next to Rachel, who had always been able to see right through him. He counted to ten before leaving the drug store and prayed to every deity he could think of that his acting skills would help him.

Will made it back to the apartment half an hour later, carrying too many paper bags. He left them on the table and went to the kitchen, where he could hear Rachel humming. She was distracted, soaking a vanilla tea bag and she didn't see him looking at her from the door frame, nor had she heard him opening and closing the door. Rachel's mind was some place else until Will's loud sighing brought her back to reality. She looked up and he was staring at her, paying special attention to the way she was caressing her stomach as she hummed "I dreamed a dream." Will walked towards her smiling and thinking to himself that she had never looked more beautiful before. He fought the urge to voice that thought, to not to make her think she had the infamous pregnancy glow.

"Hey." She smiled as he placed his hands around her waist.

"Hi." Will kissed her lips unable to believe a while ago he had been holding her crying in that very kitchen. He wished their evening could have a reset and start exactly like this. He grinned when their kiss ended. Rachel was obviously more relaxed now, the transition from sobbing to humming was a smooth change. "That is a beautiful song, Rach, but also a sad one." Will pointed out, he was relived she had the spirit to hum, but he wasn't sure choosing a song about broken dreams was uplifting.

"I know, but..." She shook her head before finishing her sentence. "Nothing, forget about it. I should take the test."

"But what? Tell me." Will wasn't going to let her off the hook. He knew she was about to say something important by the way the tone of her voice had changed.

"'I dreamed a dream' is the song Shelby recorded for me when I was a baby. For some reason I felt like ... I must be going insane. I don't know why I was humming it. I shouldn't be." Rachel admitted as her eyes filled with tears. Once again, this was a time where thinking about her own mother was inevitable. When Shelby recorded the tune, she must have had feelings towards baby Rachel, but where had those gone? Will could read that question in Rachel's eyes and that made him want to punch a wall.

"Aw, Rach... you are your own brand of crazy, sweetheart. But you are not going nuts just for choosing that song." Will didn't know what else to say to her. Rachel was clearly very emotional and Shelby making a cameo appearance in their conversation could only make things look grimmer. It was clear that the petite brunette's maternal feelings were kicking in and – as a result – she was wondering why Shelby's hadn't. Or had vanished, for that matter.

"If we made a baby, it was made out of love, Will..." She sighed feeling very mature and like a child at the same time.

"Of course." He nodded half smiling; her words were bitter-sweet. "It's ridiculous how much we love each other." Will was aware that Rachel was comparing this maybe pregnancy to the way she had been conceived.

"You are too perfect. Do you know that?" Rachel smiled knowing how hard Will was trying to make her feel better when he was as worried as she was. She couldn't help to think this was the second time he had believed he had a baby on the way, which had to bring some very painful memories up for him.

"You are not impartial, Rach." He laughed.

"So? You'll have to take my word for it anyway." She took his hands off her waist and held them in hers. "Ready?"

"Only if you are." He lifted their joined hands and kissed hers.

Rachel saw the many mysterious paper bags on the table when Will went to get the one that had the eight pregnancy tests but she didn't ask what their contents were, not when there was a huge question they needed to know the answer to first. She quietly took the bag from him and went inside the bathroom while Will sat on his bed, sighing. The moment of truth was close.

After spending roughly five minutes in the bathroom, during most of which Rachel cursed feeling like a cliché, she finally joined Will and sat next to him on his bed. She rested her head on his shoulder and waited for him to wrap his arm around her shoulders like he always did. They didn't need to look at each other to see what they were thinking, both had the same look on their faces: two deer caught in the headlights ... blinded by the threat of parenthood ... already mourning all the things they hadn't done yet.

"Can I ask you to do something for me?" Rachel needed to break the silence, it was too much for her.

"Anything you want, Rach." He nodded as he wondered if she would ask him to get some water for her.

"Would you sing to me right now?" Her request took him by surprise in the best way possible. The silence was too awkward for both of them, but making small talk made no sense either, so a song was the perfect way to try to get their heads away from their thoughts. Will cleared his throat and took her hand in his. He then started singing the first song that came to his mind. Greg Laswell's "Comes and goes (in waves)".

_This one's for the lonely  
>The ones that seek and find<br>Only to be let down  
>Time after time<em>

Rachel squeezed his hand, the song was both beautiful and neutral, which was what she needed. It also depicted who they were before they found one another.

_This one's for the torn down  
>The experts at the fall<br>Come on friends get up now  
>You're not alone at all<em>

Will smiled and decided to whisper the next part to her ear.

_And this part was for her  
>This part was for her<br>This part was for her  
>Does she remember?<em>

Rachel giggled listening to him. This song was definitely for her but it was also for them.

_It comes and goes in waves, I..._

___This one's for the faithless  
>The ones that are surprised<br>__They are only where they are now  
>Regardless of their fight<em>

_This one's for believing  
>If only for it's sake<br>Come on friends get up now_

_Love is to be made_

Will winked at Rachel. He knew maybe that was too bold of a move to make considering the pregnancy tests in his bathroom, but he needed to lighten up the mood and make Rachel feel special. When she winked back blushing he knew he had made a good call.

_And this part was for her  
>This part was for her<br>This part was for her  
>Does she remember?<em>

_It comes and goes in waves,  
>I am only led to wonder why<br>It comes and goes in waves  
>I am only led to wonder why<br>Why I try_

The brunette felt strange feeling her cheeks warming up. She could be pregnant yet she was blushing because the potential father of her babies was winking at her during a song? Once again she felt her body was confirming what the tests she was afraid to look at would say.

_This is for the ones who stand  
>For the ones who try again<br>For the ones who need a hand  
>For the ones who think they can<em>

_It comes and goes in waves,  
>I am only led to wonder why<br>It comes and goes in waves  
>I am only led to wonder why<br>Why I try_

Will finished the song and kissed Rachel on the cheek as he waited for the review he knew was coming. Granted, they should have been checking the result of the tests but they were both dreading that moment, so delaying it for a few minutes couldn't hurt.

"That performance was sublime, Will. Thanks, I needed that." Her eyes were filled with gratitude.

"I did too." Will half-smiled, he wanted to tell her they should go to the bathroom but he was having trouble finding the right words. The last thing he wanted was for Rachel to freak out again.

"Despite the fact we might be having a roof top baby on the way, I can't begin to tell you how much I want you right now." Rachel said, looking down. She felt it was wrong to be feeling that at the time. Then she looked up, and Will was grinning like an idiot. "What?" She inquired giggling.

"You can't say that and expect me not to react, Rach." Will shook his head.

"Well, you can't make me take it back. I find you very appealing right now, so what?" She shot him a sassy look. Rachel Berry was indeed in seduction mode. "And you haven't fully reacted to my advances..." She trailed her fingers down his arm.

"Sweetheart..." Will didn't want to reject her but he couldn't start anything he wouldn't be able to stop later, not when his mind was set on those stupid pregnancy tests.

"I am aware of what you are about to say, that this is reckless because, granted, we need to know, but this could very well be the last time we have a chance to be carefree and I want to take it, Will." Rachel stated breaking his heart a little. She was practically saying good bye to her youth with that argument. She was also right. Will couldn't help to reason they really needed more time together before even considering starting a family. He liked how things were between them. Will didn't reply; there was little he could add. He pulled Rachel closer and kissed her leisurely. He could give her that, yet that was as far as he could go. If Rachel wasn't pregnant, there was still something going on with her and he needed to know exactly what that was. They made out for a few minutes in an attempt to bottle up the rest of the world.

"Rach, it's time." Will said breaking the kiss. He hated himself for doing it but he had to be the one thinking straight for the both of them.

"Fair enough." She replied letting go of him and standing up. She headed to the bathroom followed by Will and stood in front of the sink without setting her glance anywhere near the tests. "I can't look." She admitted locking eyes with him in the mirror.

"It's fine." Will hugged her from behind. "I got this." He looked down at the aligned plastic sticks and breathed deeply. "Rach, seven of them say you are not pregnant." He sighed hugging her strongly.

"What?" Rachel finally looked down. "How in the world ... seven negatives and one positive? This can't be happening! What are we supposed to believe? I knew these things were unreliable!" She complained.

"I think this means you are not carrying my twins, sweetheart." Will kissed her neck before locking eyes with her in the mirror once again.

"Could we go to the hospital? I need confirmation, real confirmation." She pleaded with her eyes. Rachel was feeling very frustrated.

"We should, but I'm confident seven tests can't be wrong."

"I still don't like our odds, this is starting to feel like we are the target of some cosmic practical joke! And I swear, if that one test is right... ugh, William Schuester I'm going to chop your manhood off!" Rachel huffed making Will burst into laughter. "Don't laugh! This has to be the most insensitive time to be laughing, Will!" She turned to him.

"I can't help it, Rach." Will shrugged. He was still a bit nervous, but he knew an empty threat when he heard one. "You say the funniest things. Plus, this is my nervous laugh." he nodded.

"You are tremendously lucky I love you but don't push it." Rachel said laughing as well. She was still hesitant about celebrating seven negatives, but she was starting to relax.

"Deal." He kissed her forehead. "Now let's go get you checked so we can be back soon and rejoice." Will smiled while slapping her butt playfully. He felt a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Now all he needed was for someone to tell them Rachel was completely fine.

"Let's do that." Rachel laughed shaking her head. The mood had taken a turn for the better.

Little did Will and Rachel know the nightmare their hospital visit was going to be. Traffic was terrible and Rachel was irritated, which lead her to freak out and voice a long list of sicknesses she could be having if she wasn't pregnant. While at the same time, she was still blaming Will for either impregnating her or buying useless tests.

At the hospital Rachel had to fill a thousand forms that looked very confusing, and then the couple had to wait for almost an hour before her name was called. In that time, Rachel told Will she hated him at least twice, swore she would never have sex again, got mad at her pill and, as if that wasn't enough drama to handle, she freaked out when Santana had the bright idea to send her a picture of a Sherry baby that she made with the help of an app. Rachel thought that infant looked like a hobbit and could never be close to how her children with Will would look like, as a result she texted her best friend not to ever talk to her again.

Will was patient and tried to calm Rachel down every time she seemed to be turning into The Incredible Hulk, but he was also very tired and running out of resources to try to keep her at ease. His lucky break came when he decided to go to the snack bar to get something for them to eat. Fruit salads had clearly became their thing, and seeing him coming back with their meaningful dessert, Rachel forgot how mad she was because he had left her alone for five minutes and remembered once again that she loved Will. She stopped being belligerent towards him and took the fruit salad as a peace offering coming from him, who had "dared to leave a woman in the most fragile of states on her own."

They had just finished eating when Rachel's name was called. A nurse drew some blood from her and then sent Sherry to a doctor's office, where they waited for about fifteen more minutes ,during which Rachel was full or rage and love alternately. When the Doctor opened the door, the couple was on their make-up stage, holding hands and making moon eyes to one another.

"Hello, Rachel, Will..." The man said looking at the form he was holding, where Rachel had clearly stated Will was a patient as well because if she was pregnant, so was he, she reasoned. "I'm Doctor Grant." The physician said politely, shaking Will and Rachel's hands before sitting.

"Hey." Rachel greeted him shyly.

"Nice to meet you." Will added.

"I understand from your chart that you took several home pregnancy tests, yes?" Doctor Grant said looking at Rachel.

"Yes, and most of them pointed out I am not with child but there was one saying otherwise, and, well, you've read what I wrote; you know the symptoms I've been experiencing." Rachel said, she wasn't in the mood for her patience to be tested.

"First off let me tell you that you are not pregnant." The doctor said causing Will and Rachel to breath a loud sigh. "But the blood work revealed your hormonal levels are unbalanced, which explains the false positive read you saw."

"Ok ... so what does that really mean?" Rachel asked starting to get worried again, while Will placed his hand on her knee in an attempt to placate her nerves.

"It means that we need to balance your hormones. Changing you to a different birth control pill could help with that effect, so here is your new prescription." The man said handing Rachel a sheet of paper.

"That's it?" Rachel couldn't believe her worst nightmare could be coming to an end.

"Not exactly. You stated you have just started college. It is not uncommon for freshman students to be under so much stress that their hormones end up being all over the place, so I would recommend that you try to take it easy, in addition, I strongly suggest you take some vitamins. You are a vegan, correct?"

"Yes, I am." Rachel looked down. She had been blaming Will for hours, and now she was learning her own life-style choices were the culprit.

"Your diet is not providing you of all the nutrients your body needs, so here is another prescription for you." Doctor Grant gave her another sheet of paper. "If you are still experiencing the same symptoms three days after taking these, then come back." The man smiled at her.

"Will do, thank you, Doctor." Rachel stood up and shook his hand. Will did the same and then they proceeded to leave the hospital as fast as they could.

"I told you everything was going to be fine, Rach." Will said hugging her in front of the main entrance. He was over the moon; things were fine now.

"I know, we dodged a bullet. I'm so sorry I was so awful to you. Will, you were the best and I just ... fell short." Rachel hugged him back.

"I just needed to hear you are in good health, sweetheart. That's all that matters." He smiled pulling away to hail a taxi.

On their way back, they made a stop at the same drug store where Will had been earlier and they got what the Doctor had prescribed. This time, on his way out, Will smiled to the boy on the register machine.

Once they were in Will's apartment, Will and Rachel sat on his couch, cuddled and laughed for almost half an hour, making fun of the day they had just had. It seemed surreal that they had gone through so much.

"I will never forget today, Will, I swear. I have never felt so bipolar before, if you can believe that." Rachel laughed.

"I believe it." He kissed her head. "And I have never been so scared."

"Well I pretty much convinced you that Ethan and Rebecca, the Schuester twins, were on their way!" She giggled.

"I like those names." Will smiled while tangling his fingers in her hair. "Now seriously, today made me realize something important. I want you to meet my parents, Rach. I feel we are at that stage in our relationship." He nodded.

"I would like that, and now that you mention us being at a certain stage, I feel we have been together for longer than we actually have and, I don't know maybe it's silly, but I can't keep calling you 'boyfriend' when I feel you are so much more... that is a term of endearment but it doesn't sum up what you are to me, not to mention it's als very juvenile and and I believe we are past that by now." Rachel was voicing an inner monologue she had had with herself while he was still working and unaware of her suspicions of a pregnancy that was now discarded.

"It's not silly, Rach." He reassured her. Will was stunned of how mature their relationship really was, and Rachel was right, calling one another boyfriend and girlfriend didn't sound fitting any more. "Tomorrow morning, I will call my parents and tell them."

"Good. And I'm going to make you a set of keys to my apartment. I want you to have free reign as well." Rachel grinned. All the changes they were making weren't happening because they were forced to, but because they realized it was time. And most importantly, they were embracing their evolution as a couple. "I'm happy you are in my life. I can't imagine you not being in it." Rachel sighed.

"I love you." Will replied starting to get lost in her eyes.

After that, passion took over them. Kisses gradually escalated, clothes were torn apart on Will and Rachel's way to his bed and their long and stressing day was finally becoming history. They made love until their bodies gave out then cuddled like they usually did. At that moment they both felt the same. They were different. It felt very different to be together; something had changed for them both. Rachel and Will were put to a test, and they had passed. Trial by fire had led to more fire, to a love growing even stronger.

Rachel marked that day as the end of her teenage days.


	17. Chapter 17

"**Bricks"**

**Chapter XVII**

Rachel woke to the sound of giggling coming from Will's hallway. As faint as the voices were, she could distinguish two very different registers, one male and the other female. Filled with curiosity and with a very clear suspicion in her head, she slowly turned in Will's arms and proceeded to untangle their bodies. Once she was free from Will's embrace she stirred laying on her side, still facing him.

"Come back to bed, Rach." He said softly, reaching out to grab Rachel's arm with his eyes still closed. Neither Will nor Rachel were deep sleepers; as a result, he was missing her body heat and was refusing to wake up so early on a Sunday.

"Do you hear them, Will?" Rachel whispered smiling at his reaction. Will Schuester was a cuddler and she loved it. Not only because she was a cuddler too, but also because she felt his attention was always devoted to her. Then there was the fact that as a student, Rachel wouldn't have imagined Will Schuester, her vocal coach being as touchy-feely as he actually was.

"Yeah." He sighed suspecting Rachel wasn't going to stay in bed with him, yet he ran his hand down her arm in an attempt to prevent her from getting up. "Don't go." He pleaded knowing how futile his request was.

"I need to see if it's them, Will." Rachel replied taking the top part of his pajamas from under his pillow and causing Will to finally open his eyes.

"That doesn't surprise me." Will smiled. "But you can't just go half naked, Rach, ESPECIALLY not if that is my boss out there." He stated seriously, watching as Rachel quickly did the buttons of his pajama shirt, which in his opinion, didn't cover enough of her legs. Legs he desperately wanted tangled with his again.

"Ugh, your door not having a peep hole is so inconvenient!" Rachel kissed him quickly on the lips. "I'll find my jeans on my way there. Don't worry, I'm not going to expose my body to your boss, or anyone else for that matter." She guaranteed before jumping out of bed and walking fast towards the living room where, if her recollection wasn't failing her, Will had carelessly dropped her pants on the floor the night before.

"Oh, Rach..." Will laughed at her determination.

"Don't fall back asleep. I love you." She replied giggling from the other room while putting her jeans on.

Rachel combed her hair with her hands, then breathed in once and neared the door. She unlocked and opened it already smiling wide, knowing in advance that her suspicions would be confirmed in a matter of seconds.

"Good morning!" She beamed at Lisa and Mr. Morgan, who were still laughing about something.

"Hey, Rachel." Lisa greeted the brunette shaking her head, while taking a good look at her appearance. "What are you doing dressed like that?" The woman pointed out. Rachel was the embodiment of a fashion emergency wearing that oversized, manly, pajama buttoned up shirt and her skinny jeans.

"Nowhere, I heard your voice and wanted to thank you for your help yesterday. I should also inform that thankfully, I'm feeling better. It was JUST a vitamin deficiency related to my vegan diet." Rachel smiled; she had the perfect cover.

"That's good to hear." Lisa stated, honestly glad Rachel was fine but not buying for a second that that was why the brunette had rushed to the door.

"How are you doing Mr. Morgan?" Rachel asked victoriously. She knew Lisa was slightly bothered because she was interrupting them, but she felt entitled to do so. After all, it had been her idea to introduce Will's neighbor to his boss.

"I'm good. How are you?" The man looked down feeling starred at. He had on a guilty expression, almost like if he had been caught cheating.

"I'm great." Rachel smiled widely as the pride of being a good matchmaker filled her. "I am also being intrusive, so I will let you two alone. I just wanted to properly say thanks to Lisa. Have a good weekend." Rachel winked at her -kind of- new friend and returned to the apartment before either Lisa or the Principal could say a word.

"She's a little bit crazy." Lisa said to the Principal.

"And she has an interesting way of entering and exiting." The man observed. What he wasn't saying to Lisa was that that reminded him of someone else he knew. That was probably the reason his sense of guilt had surfaced.

"So are we still up for coffee later?" Lisa changed the subject.

"We are." Mr. Morgan grinned, still lost in thought.

Rachel ran on her way to Will's bedroom. She HAD to share the news with him. After what the couple had gone through the day before, the brunette felt the universe was finally rewarding them.

"Happy now?" Will laughed seeing how her smile went from ear to ear. She stood next to his bed and took her jeans off before joining him once again.

"Profoundly happy." Rachel replied with sheer excitement, resting her head on Will's shoulder and wrapping an arm around his torso. "Now he's never going to bother you again, Will." She whispered contently. "I made him busy."

"Yes you did." Will kissed her forehead and chuckled. He was certain her plan had as much to do with getting Mr. Morgan off his back as it did with making Lisa unavailable. "Good job, sweetheart."

"Thanks." Rachel looked into his eyes. "No one messes with my man!" She said proudly and joined his laughter.

"You are the best." Will kept laughing with his eyes still locked with hers. He adored how protective Rachel was towards him. Considering this was the same Rachel Berry that had threatened to castrate him not even twenty four hours ago, he was extremely blissful that her -sometimes- extreme behavior was working in his favor.

"Oh, I know, but clarification never hurts." The brunette said boldly, tracing idle patters with her fingers on his bare stomach. "Are you hungry? We haven't had anything to eat since that fruit salad... that was a nice touch by the way." Rachel nodded trying to address a subject.

"Let's just stay here like this for a while longer. I'll make us breakfast later." Will smiled before kissing her lips sweetly. "And you know what? No matter what happens, we will always have fruit salad." Will joked, causing her to laugh.

"Your twist on that quote could have been SO unbelievably corny..." She shook her head. "You die hard romantic... " Rachel giggled while poking his chest. "I love you."

"Me too, Rach." Will grinned. Secretly, he knew Rachel liked him being corny.

"I didn't ask before but... where you relieved to know I am not pregnant?" Rachel cut right to the chase, since her fruit salad comment hadn't led to the conversation she had hoped for.

"To be honest, all I wanted was for you to be healthy." Will stroke her hair. "But yes, I was relieved. I'm not ready to share you just yet." Will shrugged. Rachel placed a kiss right above his heart. She wasn't ready to share him either.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. It was terribly selfish of me not to ask yesterday." She stated with a hint of regret. Granted, the worst had passed and they even had celebrated their good news, but she could never take his feelings for granted.

"We are doing great, Rach. I'm okay." He simply said rubbing her back.

"Good." Rachel playfully slapped his hand away from her back and started to trail kisses down Will's chest.

"Honey, what are you doing?" Will laughed taken by surprise. It was rare that she would stop him from caressing her.

"Giving you my undivided attention." She winked at him and continued kissing his body, pushing the sheets down. "And as you can see, I am also being selfless." Rachel stated stroking him.

"Rach..." Will moaned, he was already hard from her touch. "We can be selfless together." He closed his eyes feeling her breath exactly where he wanted it.

"After breakfast." Rachel replied in a sassy tone before licking his length once. "Now, it's all about you." She said before resuming her task.

"Okay, but..." Will's breath hitched and his sentence ended there when Rachel alternated between stroking him and licking.

"Will, right now I'm pleasuring you. Are you going to complain?" She looked at Will, while still working him with her hand. Will didn't reply; he grunted in return. "I thought so." Rachel smiled victoriously. She loved making his speech devolve in such a way.

A while later, Rachel was taking a shower while a very smiley Will was finishing making vegan-friendly breakfast for them. He could hear her sing at the top of her lungs from the bathroom and sighed thinking he was probably one of the reasons she was so happy. Then it occurred to him that it might be a good time to call his parents. It was certainly odd how nervous that was making him. Never before had the teacher been so worried about a phone conversation with his parents. As he grabbed his phone from the kitchen table, he dismissed his concern, reminding himself that both his mother and father had let him marry Terri, which to him, meant the chances they would not like Rachel were slim to none. However, he had to be careful with how he was going to describe their relationship. Being involved with someone that was fresh out out high school didn't sound too good.

Will sat and pressed number two. Rachel was number one. Then he sighed and waited.

"Hey Will, how are you doing son?" His father answered.

"I'm doing fine. How are you and mom?"

"We started taking Salsa classes a week ago, so the answer would be sore." The man said chuckling and rubbing his lower back. "It's challenging at our age but it's making us feel younger." Will's dad replied making him smile slightly. He had very modern parents, which he was going to make sure to use on his advantage.

"That is awesome dad." Will emphasized.

"I was reluctant at first, but you know your mother. She doesn't take no for an answer. What have you been up to?"

"That's actually the reason I'm calling other than finding out how you are. I'm... I met someone." Will didn't want to delay his news any longer.

"That's excellent, son. Tell me about her." Mr. Schuester replied with joy.

"She is a hell of a woman. I don't remember the last time I've been this happy and I can't wait for you and mom to meet her." Will was starting to feel relieved. He couldn't wait to tell his dad all about Rachel.

"A formal introduction... does that mean you can see a future with her?" His dad asked the most fatherly, and obvious, question in the world.

"She's unlike any other woman I've been with, Dad." Will felt 100% juvenile by saying that, especially because his stomach was fluttering as he did so.

"Was it love at first sight? You know your old man is a sucker for love stories." Mr. Schuester laughed.

"Something quite like that, dad. We haven't just met; she's from Lima, so there is some history between us, but romantic feelings developed here." Will rubbed his neck. He wished he didn't have to tell his father how young Rachel was, but in order to prepare him and his mother to meet her, being upfront was his only option.

"Hmmm..." Mr. Schuester interjected, saying a lot and nothing at all at the same time. "Is her name Rachel?"

"What? Yes, how do you know?" Will's jaw dropped. How on earth could his father know?

"I remember the way you used to talk about her, Will." The old man explained smiling. "I sensed she was more than just your favorite student."

"But... when did I tell you she was my favorite student?" Will could not believe his father had been able to anticipate his feelings towards Rachel. He was also sure he had never told anyone who he believed to be the most special member of the Glee club.

"You didn't, but that wasn't necessary. It was evident that you had a soft spot for her."

"She's amazing, Dad." Will had no idea what else to say; he was ready to explain how he and Rachel had fallen in love, yet it wasn't pivotal at all at the time being.

"Well, I can't wait to finally meet her, son." Mr. Schuester laughed, knowing he had surprised Will.

"Her?" Mrs. Schuester approached her husband. "Will has a girlfriend? I'm having grandchildren? I'm having grandchildren!" The woman jumped up and down.

"Is that mom, dad?" Will closed his eyes. He had heard his mother's strident voice and her little monologue in celebration of the Sherry babies everyone kept bringing up.

"Yes, do you want to talk to her?" Mr. Schuester laughed, still looking at his wife smiling.

"Put her on speaker." Will smiled thinking how Berry of him it was to do that. "Don't leave me alone with her." He whispered, once again feeling like a teenager.

"Don't worry." Will's dad pressed the button. "You are on speaker, son."

"Will!" His mother screamed, sitting next to her husband and handing him a bag of frozen peas to put behind his lower back.

"Hi mom." Will shook his head, anticipating what was about to come and praying Rachel was far from being done showering.

"Sweet pea! It's so good to hear your voice! Now tell me about this angel!" Mrs. Schuester clapped her hands.

"It's Rachel, Martha." Mr. Schuester informed her before Will could react. As it turned out, Rachel had stopped singing and that had distracted him.

"Really? I've always liked her. What you told us about her, anyway. When are we meeting your Rachel?" Martha Schuester said still smiling.

"Gee, did I talk about her THAT much?" Will had to know. He grimaced as soon as he finished asking his question. Everything seemed to signal that Sherry was meant to be. However, he started to wonder if he had in fact brought Rachel up so many times that both his parents had somehow been rooting for her.

"Yes, and Terri told us about her one time." Will's mom added. "If she's as good as a cook as I've heard then she's an excellent wife candidate."

"And you don't have anything to say about her age?" Will asked carefully. His parental units were giving him a huge pass and he felt there had to be a catch somewhere.

"Will, honeybee, we thought you were never going to give us grandchildren; now you are telling us you are in a relationship with someone who has most of her fertile years ahead. This is a dream come true!" Martha explained as her husband laughed. "Isn't that right, Sebastian?" She elbowed Mr. Schuester.

"Yes, it is." Sebastian Schuester said trying to feign seriousness.

"I'm speechless." Will admitted. The realization that his parents might have been pitying him was a lot to handle. "I never thought you had so little faith in me."

"It's not that, Will, but you have been so unlucky when it came to relationships that we thought maybe you had settled for being on your own." Mr. Schuester stated.

"Well, I haven't." Will said a bit bitter, but he relaxed when he felt Rachel's hand squeezing his shoulder tenderly.

"This is the best news I've heard in years, Will. When can we meet her? Is next weekend a good time to visit you?" Martha Schuester asked pressing her eyes closed awaiting for a yes.

"Next... I don't know, mom. I'll talk to her and I will get back to you." Will smiled at Rachel, who was staring at him quizzically.

"Fine, but has to bee soon. Tell Rachel we love her already!" The woman said so loudly that Rachel heard her and smiled in return.

"I will, but now I have to go, breakfast awaits." Will said trying to read into Rachel's grin.

"Go to your woman, son." Mr. Schuester replied smiling and holding his wife's hand. Both completely jumping to the conclusion that Rachel was there.

"I love you, Will!" Martha added.

"I love you too, mom. And dad." Will sighed contently before hanging up.

"I never pictured you as a momma's boy, Will." Rachel giggled before leaning to kiss his cheek.

"Well, secret's out now." Will shrugged laughing.

"Indeed, and it's an adorable one." Rachel smiled. "So? What did they say?"

"That you are an angel. They love you already." Will took her hand and stood up.

"That means you think meeting them will go down smoothly?" Rachel tilted her head. She had heard his mom stating she loved her very clearly, yet she needed to hear it from Will.

"You have that introduction in the bag, sweetheart." Will laughed hugging her.

"Perfect! Now let's have breakfast, I'm starving!" Rachel kissed him quickly on the lips and turned towards the coffee machine.

"Me too, I made vegan pancakes." Will said pointing at the pile on their plates on the table. "Sit down, Rach. I'll pour you some coffee."

"Vegan pancakes? I'm impressed..." She said taking a seat.

"Well, I wanted to treat you, and I'm impressive..." Will winked before turning to pour coffee on their mugs.

"Mr. Schuester! That is some self esteem! I like it!" Rachel giggled as he handed her a mug.

"Well, my angel does wonders for me, so I've been told." Will sat next to her grinning.

"That would be your Jewish angel." She interjected.

"You are right, my Jewish angel. She makes my parents proud of me." Will looked into Rachel's eyes while he sipped his coffee. "And I know why, she's a catch."

"Is that so? She sounds amazing." Rachel sipped coffee as well. They were playing some kind of flirty breakfast chess.

"Amazing doesn't pay tribute to her. "

"So tell me more about this Jewish angel of yours." Rachel giggled as she started to rub Will's calf with her bare feet.

"Well, she's this doe eye beauty, so tiny she could fit in my pocket, and most of the time, I would like to carry her there so I can protect her. She's smart, talented, sweet, sexy, an amazing cook, a musical theater lover... it's impossible not to love her." Will smiled, now rubbing her feet with his.

"Aw, Will! That was so sweet!" Rachel blew a kiss at him. "And speaking of theater. I should go home at some point and figure out what to wear tonight." She said nonchalantly while still playing footsie with him under the table.

"Wait a second, you... you went through my drawers! That was supposed to be a surprise, Rach." Will narrowed his eyes.

"I must remind you that I warned I would do so when you gave me my set of keys. It's not my fault your hiding places are so predictable." Rachel shrugged. "You need to step up your game, Will."

"But you ruined my surprise, sweetheart." Will expressed with a defeated tone.

"For what it's worth it was lovely to find those tickets among your underwear." Rachel nodded. "It was also pleasant to see you arrange your boxers by color." She smiled with pride.

"You are terrible, Rach." Will laughed.

"I'm a Jewish angel; angels can't be terrible, Will." The brunette stated matter-of-factly.

"Okay, you win." Will shook his head, letting Rachel savor her victory even though he still believed she was a paradox.

"That was so easy!" She claimed her success while cutting a pancake. "These look delicious."

"I hope they taste as good as they look." He replied staring at Rachel, who was about have her first bite.

"You don't sound so confident now."

"Well..." Will stopped himself before ending his sentence.

"You do realize you have to tell me what you were about to say, right?" Rachel said before having a bite of the pancake.

"I was going to say that not all vegan recipes have the most amazing taste." Will replied closing his eyes for a second. "Tell me the pancakes are at least decent."

"That is because you are not used to it, Will, and relax, your vegan pancakes are perfect." Rachel smiled as he opened his eyes.

"That's a relief."

"You really don't fancy eating vegan food, don't you?" Rachel pursed her lips.

"Honestly, Rach? The tastiest vegan thing I've had is you." Will replied trying to be flirty and causing Rachel to blush instantly.

"Will!" She burst into laughter.

"What? I like you, but your food? Not that much." He leaned and kissed her shoulder. "Don't be mad."

"I'm not, however I should make you regular pancakes." She shook her head and stood up.

"Rach, it's fine. I can..." Will trailed off as he saw her stretching trying to open his top cabinet. The baggy shirt, that she was wearing was riding up, exposing the back of her thighs.

"Nonsense, you need your energy!" Rachel replied managing to get the cabinet open.

"Later." He whispered, walking towards her.

"No, Will, you need to eat something you like, therefore I'm making you pancakes." She said trying to spot the ingredients she needed.

"No, you are not." He stated closing the cabinet and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I can make waffles if you want but you need to eat, I refuse to have you starved or eating something I know you dislike." Rachel huffed, unaware of what he had really meant.

"Rach, I'm trying to get a point across here." Will whispered turning her to face him.

"Which is?" Rachel looked up into his eyes, still not getting his hint, despite how dark his green eyes were now.

"That I want you, sweetheart." He replied. His lips were already close to hers and his fingers were digging into her waist.

"When do you not?" She shrugged, smiling.

"Good point but you are still not cooking." He lifted her and sat her on the counter carefully.

"You are the only person who's been successful at bossing me around; did you know that?" Rachel complimented him as she cupped his face with her hands.

"I hope it stays that way." Will claimed her lips in a passionate kiss. "Don't you move." He added running towards the living room.

"Ok... but what are you doing?" She asked slightly confused.

"Getting protection, Rach." Will wished there was a way to camouflage that as he went through the paper bags on the living room's table. He could see the headbands, the bath salts and bubbles, and all the other things he had purchased for Rachel in the drug store, but he couldn't find the box of condoms.

"Good thinking!" She yelled from the counter. "But hurry!"

"Got it!" Will joyfully said, holding a condom in hand and walking back to the kitchen, where he found Rachel already starting to slide her panties down. "Rach?" He laughed.

"I'm getting ready for you. What's your objection?" She replied in a challenging tone.

"None whatsoever." Will left the condom on the counter next to Rachel, and stood in front of her.

"I figured as much." Rachel grinned wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. Will finished taking her underwear completely off. That very act was making him even more frantic.

"Teamwork." She whispered in his ear.

"Mhm." He agreed placing one of his hands behind her head and the other on her knee. "This is my favorite kind of breakfast." Will added kissing her bottom lip.

"I concur." Rachel said crashing her lips to his and rubbing his neck. "This is delicious." She moaned as he trailed his hand up her thigh.

"You are." Will interjected. Kissing her neck and teasing her entrance at the same time.

"I'm glad you think so." The brunette stated as she felt light-headed. With shaky hands, she grabbed the condom that was placed next to her and opened the wrapper with difficulty; Will's finger was pressing at her clit and she was having trouble coordinating her motor functions. "Will?" She said sucking a breath. But he didn't reply, he was too focused. Rachel ran her nails down his back to get his attention and smiled when his movements faltered.

"Rach?" He looked at her, both were breathing heavily.

"Thanks for the tickets. I forgot to say that." Rachel smiled playfully, taking advantage of the moment and pushing Will's boxers down.

"Are you in a hurry, sweetheart?" He whispered to her ear while she proceeded to expertly roll the condom on him.

"What a question, Will!" She threw her head back giggling, knowing his hand was behind it preventing her from hitting against the cabinet. "What are you waiting for? You gave up breakfast for this." Rachel urged him locking her legs around his waist.

"And it's so worth it." He slowly guided himself inside her, causing both to moan at the sensation.

"Oh... kay, but I'm taking you out for lunch." Rachel stated closing her eyes and gripping his shoulders, still adjusting to him and their angle.

"As you wish." Will blurted out before starting to move. It wasn't the best of times to think about anything but he believed it was unclear if he and Rachel were great at bargaining or if they simply agreed with everything the other wanted. To him, their dynamic was perfect regardless. On the other hand, Rachel was amazed of how in sync they were. Will wanting her so much was flattering, but him really telling her what he felt about her diet was even more important. He was always honest with her, and that was a lot more than she could say from the other guys she had been with. Rachel had always been able to rely on Will, and that was one of the reasons loving him was so natural to her.

"Oh, Will..." She moaned, feeling he was setting her body on fire. Rachel started to meet his thrusts. "Why am I still clothed?" Rachel managed to voice. Will slowed his rhythm and looked at her quizzically.

"I'm sorry, is it too hot in here, sweetheart?" He licked her sweaty neck as she nodded. "You are burning up." Will grinned looking into her eyes. Rachel raised an eyebrow in reply, she was still waiting for him to undress her. Her defiant look ignited him but he still didn't take her shirt off, instead he thrust into her more forcefully.

"Will! If I melt it's your fault!" She hissed.

"I don't want you melting, my love." Will whispered unbuttoning the shirt and pulling it open. "Better?" He changed the angle of his hips.

"Yesssssss!" She screamed.

"There you go." Will let out a laughter seconds before he traced his tongue on her collarbone.

"You are enjoying this too much; have some mercy, Will." Rachel laughed as well, biting his bare shoulder. She knew exactly what those words would do to him.

"You are doing this to me, Rach." He placed an open mouth kiss to each of her breasts. "You are way too tantalizing." He moaned when she changed the angle of her hips and bit his other shoulder harder. "And I have you where I want you, the way I want you." He whispered to her ear raising goosebumps all over her body.

"You do." She conceded being very aware of the way she had successfully had made Will go to the dark side. Rachel loved Will's kindness, but she always enjoyed the most primal version of him, that version that claimed her body in surrender with the rawest of passions. That version that made tender touches turn into delightful and unforgiving friction. Bruises in hidden places and "kiss-it-better day afters". "Harder, Will." She pleaded and he complied. They both came together with that brutal thrust. The air in their lungs was gone, their strength was faint and their pulse was rising and falling.

"Rach, God!" Will exclaimed pulling out of her. Rachel whimpered in complaint and then pecked his lips once.

"That was off the charts steamy." She pressed their sweaty foreheads together. "I love you." Rachel smiled still in ecstasy.

"And I think I'm addicted to you." Will ran his hand down her cheek. That moment was the very definition of bliss. It was one of those strange spare seconds where they weren't trying to read one another. They knew they could never love anyone else like they loved each other. They had chosen to choose them.

Kitchen sex had been fast, furious, hot and heavy. Very different from how it had been the night before yet it wasn't like it had been for them before the previous day. Both, Will and Rachel were starting to realize how serious their relationship was, and not because they shared a history or because a pregnancy scare had made them put what they had in perspective. The sense of belonging together had simply grown stronger and they were holding onto it. In spite of everything that could change, their minds were set on the same goal. They were going to roll with the punches, kissing and holding hands.

Their hearts and minds were connected by an invisible thread and their bodies were just responding to that pull. There was no hesitation between them, no bullshit, no manipulation, no promises that couldn't be fulfilled. They had grown as individuals when they weren't a couple, and partly because they had each other playing a key role in the others' life. Yet they had been close but not completely in each others' lives before. They had shared a few meaningful moments but they had never crossed a line; Will and Rachel in their Lima version were never expecting to have such a solid foundation. They could have never have foreseen they would be more than a teacher and a student that cared a lot for one another, so shortly after graduation.

True, since day one Rachel had trusted Will like she never had anyone before, then again, Will had believed in her like no one had and like he had never believed in anyone else. That was showing now. The trust, the care, the faith, the affection that had turned into love and devotion... but those elements had always been there in some shape or form, what was new was the feeling that now they could very easily break each others' heart. Rome wasn't built in one day, just like their love wasn't born in one spare second, yet, Rome burnt in one day... even the most solid foundations can become volatile and Will and Rachel were smart enough to know that and give everything they had to fight it. If their relationship was incendiary, which it very well could be, they would burn together.

Will had gone through a divorce, yet he had never been so afraid to fail at love like he was now. He was certain he needed Rachel to be himself; on the other hand, Rachel had never imagined a love like theirs could exist. It was all too good to be true, and that sense of fear of losing one another, of allowing changes to change them, was what, ironically, was making them grow closer together.

A shared shower and a casual lunch later the couple said goodbye between kisses and giggles. Rachel headed to her apartment to choose an outfit to wear later on their date and Will looked for the suit she had instructed him to wear. Once he had found the red tie she had chosen, a text from Rachel crashed his bubble for a second making him realize now more people were coming to populate their little world.

"_Your mom friend-requested me on Facebook!" _The text informed. And that was enough to make Will nervous.

It soon hit the teacher that so far those who had known about him and Rachel were Santana, aka Rachel's best friend, Finn, who counted more as San's boyfriend than anything else, and Rachel's dads. Sure, Mr. Morgan, the Montgomerys and his students knew, but they weren't people close to him. His parents were, though. Telling them about Rachel had been his only effort to open his relationship to anyone, and that scared him for a variety of reasons, but there was one in particular he couldn't stop thinking about, and that was why he so desperately needed to protect himself and Rachel from the world.

Had he been so broken? Were his parents right? Had he somehow thrown in the towel without realizing it? He didn't know what to believe. Will knew he loved Rachel and that he could envision a future together, but he hadn't really thought about more people being part of that future, which had been a naïve reasoning to say the least. They couldn't always be just the two of them in a new city...

Will took a deep breath and replied Rachel's text advising her not to accept the request. They could tell his mother that Rachel had somehow missed it. Now he had to find a way to try to convince Rachel that meeting his parents in a week was too soon, or better yet, he had to make her think that stalling was HER idea. Will proceeded to get dressed and prayed he could pull that off. As he had admitted, he was obviously not ready to share Rachel. Nor was he willing to make their relationship more complex so abruptly.

Sooner than Rachel realized, it was past six pm and Will was ringing her bell. He was wearing the black suit and red tie that she picked for him and she had a simple short black dress on. They complimented the others' appearance and hailed a taxi to get to the theater. The show started at eight, but Rachel had decided they would go to the gift shop prior to the function, to avoid dealing with a crowd.

Rachel was looking at several pins, while Will was already holding a little statue of the Eugene O'Neil Theater that he thought would look good on his desk.

"Do you see anything you like, sweetheart?" Will hugged her from behind. For some reason she was putting too much thought selecting pins.

"Yes, I like all of them." She pointed at the pins with one hand, while covering his hands around her stomach with the other. "What do you think? Is it okay to have John Gallagher Jr.'s face on a pin or would you find that unacceptable?" Rachel bit her lip causing Will to laugh, she was adorable.

"I won't get jealous of a pin, Rach." He kissed her cheek.

"You are absolutely positive you don't mind?" She picked the pin along with two others and turned to him.

"Yes." He grinned.

"Fine, but that doesn't mean you can get one with Mary Faber's face on it." Rachel shrugged.

"What?" Will let out a laugh.

"You have quite a history with blondes..." Rachel tried to explain, her logic was hilarious to Will. "So do you see something else beside the statue that you like?" She shrugged.

"As a matter of fact, yes." Will nodded. "You." He stated causing Rachel to smile widely.

"You are in a roll today, Will!" Rachel laughed before kissing him deeply. Will had no idea how it had happened but he loved his and Rachel's PDA moments. He was deepening their kiss when they heard someone clearing their throat.

Will and Rachel broke the kiss suspecting they would find an upset clerk staring at them. They turned and to their surprise they saw a ghost... or someone that should have remained one...

"What the... a surprise." Shelby said crossing her arms over her chest, looking at them up and down.

That is how going to see "Mamma Mia" suddenly brought back "Mommy Dearest" to their lives...


	18. Chapter 18

**A.N.: I am so sorry for the delay! Life has been complicated lately, still, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Feedback is always welcomed :)**

"**Bricks"**

**Chapter XVIII**

"Shelby." Will stated the obvious while reaching for Rachel's hand. If there was a time to remind her he was there for her, this was it. He hadn't been able to protect Rachel from Shelby the first time around, but now it was different. It HAD to be. In addition, given that Shelby was bothered by the kiss she had just witnessed, Will holding Rachel's hand equated to making a statement.

"So you and her?" Shelby addressed Will, who squeezed Rachel's hand tightly. As much as he preferred to be the target of whatever accusation they were about to hear, the fact that Shelby was practically neglecting to acknowledge Rachel was even present had to hurt.

"Yes, me and Rachel." Will stated in a dead serious tone, and making sure to say Rachel's name. She wasn't just any woman; as a result, if Will had a say, Shelby wasn't going to treat her as such. He was tense right after replying to Shelby, but his feelings betrayed him and he proudly smiled at Rachel as soon as he ended that sentence. It wasn't pleasant to have any sort of confrontation about them with Shelby, but at the same time he was happy of Sherry's existence and he wasn't going to hide that fact. Rachel smiled back at him and sighed contently. She had always felt safe with Will but now, looking at him standing up to her biological mother and smiling so naturally at the mention of them being an item, Rachel's heart was melting with love and gratitude.

"I never pictured you as that type, Will. I'm stunned." The once upon a time coach of Vocal Adrenaline pointed out dryly.

"Excuse me? What type would that be?" Rachel finally spoke. Granted, she was shocked to see her mother after all those years; however, she was even more outraged at how it seemed like Shelby was accusing Will of something. She knew she had to defend him.

"The type to date a student." Shelby frowned.

"Rach is not my student." Will replied quickly. It was plain and simple; he wasn't a criminal and she wasn't a child. He wasn't bound to let Shelby cheapen what they had. In addition, his term of endearment towards Rachel caused both women to react. While Rachel smiled even more warmly at him; Shelby couldn't stop shaking her head in disbelief.

"And it should go without saying that who he is romantically involved with is none of your business. Not to mention, I never pictured you as the TYPE of woman that dates her boss..." Rachel narrowed her eyes. There were too many things she needed to clarify.

"If I knew I would be enabling something like this when I offered you my job, I would never have done it." Shelby addressed Will again, ignoring Rachel's words completely.

"This," Will motioned his hand between himself and Rachel. "has nothing to do with MY job or you." He said without even blinking.

"It does if you left Lima to have an affair with her. You used me..." Shelby paused. "Does she know?" She raised one eyebrow.

"About your almost hook up years ago? Yes." Rachel rolled her eyes in annoyance and fought back the fleeting thought of telling her mother that her make out session with Will back then couldn't possibly compare with Sherry's sexy times now. "And it's not like you have the faintest idea as to how serious and deep our relationship has became but to call it an affair? Seriously? It seems to me that you are desperately trying to hurt the seventeen year old version of me that you barely knew but guess what? You miscalculated, Shelby." Rachel paused and took a deep breath, calling her biological mother by her first name stung. "I am not that person. You don't get to bring me sorrow again now. I can barely believe you have the nerve to make an attempt." Rachel shot her mother a pained look, she wanted to be and appear strong, yet she was hating this moment with a passion.

"I'm disappointed," was all Shelby said.

"That is the mother of all ironies." Rachel replied. Will was looking at them back and forth knowing he had to intervene soon. "You haven't set any kind of example for me to follow. I mean, what is it that you have accomplished in life exactly?" The petite brunette's blood was boiling. If she was a disappointment to Shelby, then she was going to make it very clear that Shelby herself had failed her.

"You need an example to know that sleeping with your teacher will lead nowhere? Rachel, wake up. And you Will, I thought you were an honest man, not that you would be taking advantage of me by taking my job." Shelby stared at Will, avoiding making eye contact with Rachel at all costs.

"You offered me your job, Shelby. You are not entitled to claim I used you." Will added, intertwining his fingers with Rachel's. Once again they were a united front.

"Exactly! This is all very ridiculous; your argument has no legs!" Rachel pointed out. "How are you the victim? How can you be when we haven't done anything wrong! I will remind you once again that he is not my teacher. I know the concept of love might be difficult for you to grasp but we love one another madly. You don't know me or Will, let alone what we have." Rachel's tone softened as she locked her eyes with Will. At that moment, she really couldn't look at her mother. She just wanted her gone.

"Then by all means, fill me in. Tell me how crushing on someone who can offer you nothing works... How long have you been together? Or should I say, how long have you been delusionally thinking what you have is love instead of codependency?" Shelby said with both irony and impatience. "Falling for the authority figure is a rookie mistake, Rachel."

"Let's not do this, Rach; we don't owe her anything." Will suggested, while closing his hand more forcefully around the statue he was holding as a way to stop himself from going off on Shelby.

"That's fine, just run and hide your silly affair." Shelby laughed trying to provoke both Will and Rachel. "If you weren't doing anything wrong as you stated, Rachel, you wouldn't mind telling me about your so-called relationship."

"Oh, right, Shelby, let's do as you suggest. Let's just all go for coffee so Will and I can tell you all about our love story. Then we can just catch up with everything that's happened with our lives in all these years... and you can even keep calling us immoral, rookies, and whatnot... " Rachel shook her head. "How dare you, Shelby?" Rachel raised her voice. "And does it look like we are hiding? Come on!"

"Touché." Shelby smiled, almost as if she was enjoying upsetting Rachel.

"We should go now, sweetheart." Will kissed the top of Rachel's head. Shelby's amusement hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Sweetheart, huh? I expected more from you, Rachel; not for you to ruin your life for a teacher. You've became a cliché now. I can't believe you would let him take advantage of you. And you, Will... I don't even know where to start! You had to charm a naïve high-school girl with stars in her eyes just to be warm at night? My goodness, you are the embodiment of lame." Shelby nodded.

"Oh no, you didn't just say that. I'm a naïve school girl with stars in her eyes? You have got to be kidding me! Who do you think you are?" Rachel huffed. "And don't even think about saying you are my mother because you are not." She anticipated Shelby's reply. "He is not, in any way, shape or form, taking advantage of me. We love and have chosen one another."

"That's more proof of how in denial you are, Rachel. I am your mother, and I never thought you would be so stupid to fall for Lima's most notorious loser."

"Al right, that's enough." A clearly angry Will interjected. "You are not going to pull this off, Shelby. You can't try to hurt her just because you think you have the right. I'm not going to let you. I warned you to be careful with her feelings before and you disregarded my words, but you can't now. And why are you doing this anyway? So you can feel better about yourself after breaking Rachel's heart? You are a coward." Will spoke up. "You remember you are her mother when it's convenient for you. That is not love. But what Rachel and I have is. You don't like the fact we are together? You can't deal with the fact we are happy? Well, that is not our problem and what makes you believe we care about what you think? We don't need your blessing because you are no one to us, did you hear me? No one." Will raised his voice, briefly making Rachel recall of the few times she had seen him so angry.

"Then why are you still here talking to me?" Shelby said almost unaffected. Nothing seemed to make her lose her composure.

"Because you deserve to know that the joke is on you. Look at Rachel, she's perfect! And you blew your chances with her. You had the opportunity to get to know this amazing and talented woman and you FAILED. So I ask you, what is your damage!" Will couldn't stop himself; he let out everything he was thinking. Rachel was in shock, seeing Will being her champion was invigorating, yet she wished they had never stumbled with her mother.

"I..." Shelby tried to speak.

"He's absolutely right. Who are you to judge when it was none other than you who went looking for your daughter after seventeen years? When it was you who inserted yourself in said daughter's life only to leave her high and dry and with too many confusing and hurtful questions... what kind of plan was that? How can any of that remotely make any sense to you? Why did you have to come into my life and make it tougher? And why couldn't you just keep walking when you saw us tonight?"

"Because what I saw was a lame excuse of a man kissing a lost, little girl so I..."

"You have it backwards. I am not lame because I'm part of her life. You are the sad one here. Just take a good look at her and tell me I'm an idiot for loving her with all I am. I dare you." Will continued, almost unaware that he had cut Shelby off.

"Aw, Will..." Rachel said lovingly. She was actually speechless and her heart was beating out of control. Every word she had heard him said was a testament of his devotion to her.

"I'm disgusted just by looking at your joined hands." Shelby finally managed to reply.

"So be it." Rachel grabbed Will by the collar and pulled him to her for a passionate kiss. Will kissed her back and wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could, while a very bothered Shelby turned and walked away shaking her head. "Thanks, Will." Rachel whispered pressing their foreheads together. Once again, they were safe inside their bubble and had succeeded in getting a toxic person out.

"No one messes with my girl." Will smiled proudly, recycling Rachel's line from that very morning. "Are you okay?" He asked softly.

"Are you kidding me? You kicked her ass!" Rachel let out a laugh while breaking their embrace, but still looking into his eyes.

"I couldn't let her treat us that way, Rach. I just gave her a piece of my mind; now maybe she has something to think about." Will shrugged. "And that felt good."

"I'm beyond proud of you... not only you defended me proficiently, you made a tangible impact on her." She smiled widely.

"So did you with that kiss, sweetheart." Will stroked her cheek, laughing.

"Oh, that wasn't meant to upset her; that kiss was for you." Rachel nodded. "I couldn't help myself when you were acting so manly and heroic." Her eyelashes fluttered.

"That's a half truth, Rach." Will called her out and pecked her lips. "Not that I'm complaining..."

"Fine, I admit it, it was for you because you said I'm perfect and I love you, but I also knew I would disarm her. There was no way on earth she would have a snarky comeback after witnessing the force of nature we are." Rachel nodded as Will grinned.

"Still, I meant every word I said. She made the biggest mistake of her life the day she lost you." He said softly.

"She did, but let's not dwell on that. She's history and you are the best part of my life. You are my everything, Will." Rachel smiled widely as her heartfelt confession lingered in the air between them. "Just don't brag about it." She poked his chest playfully.

"How could I not?" Will grabbed her hand and lifted it to his lips to kiss it twice.

"All right, promise you won't brag about it much then." Rachel gave in rolling her eyes.

"Deal." Will conceded. "We should get going now, Rach."

"We should." Rachel nodded. "However, I am not buying this." She left the pin with John Gallagher Jr.'s face where she had found it and smiled at Will, knowing she didn't need to explain why she no longer wanted the item. Will grinned in return.

Will suspected Rachel probably needed a minute or some fresh air before going to their seats. Despite the fact they had gotten rid of Shelby and that the tiny brunette seemed to be in good spirits, he was certain there was a lot going on in her mind. But when he was about to ask what she wanted to do, Rachel pulled him towards the line. He made a mental note to let her be the one addressing the subject when necessary.

On the other hand, Rachel was going through a whirlwind of emotions. Seeing Shelby had been unexpected, and knowing they were in the same city was a scary notion. At the same time, she felt a sense of fulfillment. After all, Rachel had managed to speak up, to say to her biological mother what she thought of her, and she had done a good job at defending Will and herself in the process. She thought maybe some things are meant to be broken forever, and that was bitter-sweet for her. As she and Will sat in their seats she decided that what she needed was a distraction. What she longed for was to see the play, get lost in the songs, the lights, the performances... she needed to daydream about the time she would be on stage helping other people forget about the world. Her mind was set on that while her hand was holding Will's strongly without her noticing. All of a sudden she wasn't thirsty.

The show finally started and soon enough Rachel began to sing along quietly, causing Will to keep his eyes on her instead of on the stage. He checked on her throughout the whole play. Not only had he done that by instinct, Will felt the magnetism between him and Rachel was present. In a way, it had always been there, he admitted to himself. Looking back, he had always been looking at her, and probably, she had always been calling out for him to do so even if it was an unconscious act.

Rachel felt his gaze on her, and spied him from the corner of her eye. Will had always been her constant. She recalled him telling her he was her biggest fan and smiled at how much truth laid in that statement. Soon she realized that probably some things are meant to be broken, while other things are meant to evolve. Granted, her mother had walked out on her, but Will had always wanted in, in one way or another. Now she couldn't imagine him not being there for and with her though every significant moment of her life.

The play ended on a high note and the couple exited the theater giggling. According to Rachel, almost everything had been flawless, while Will argued that the lead lacked charisma. Of course he was biased, he had barely looked at the actress. Rachel had caught his attention. Once again it hit him: she was going to take Broadway by storm one day.

Once they exited the theater, the couple decided to have late dinner at a small Italian restaurant that was on their way to his apartment. They kept their conversation light while they waited for their dishes to arrive. Obviously, the incident with Shelby was on their minds but they were trying to avoid it from being the central topic of discussion for the night. Then again, neither Will nor Rachel was good at letting pink elephants be.

"Is it wrong to be this content about making her mad?" Rachel broke the ice while nonchalantly drinking some water. For his part, Will felt his heart smiling, she was sort of asking him like she would have when she was his student, only that this time, she wasn't defensive.

"She had it coming, Rach. Shelby wanted us to react and we did, ultimately she ended up looking like she wanted to set both of us on fire." Will shrugged. He honestly thought putting the woman in her place had been a good call on their part. "We should be proud."

"True, but... it is understandable that seeing us as a couple would not sit well with her, then again, how can she have zero maternal instinct? She didn't even make an attempt to bargain or to try to understand..." Rachel trailed off.

"I don't know, sweetheart. Frankly, I think she's a bitter woman and she behaved like an idiot." Will replied, trying as hard as he could to soften his reply, but keeping the core information intact. There was no point in hiding from Rachel what he thought about her mother, yet, as soon as the words left his lips he felt guilty.

"She's a bitch." Rachel nodded, causing Will to laugh.

"Well... I didn't want to say it like that but..." Will agreed.

"The shoe fits." Rachel completed his sentence and Will nodded in agreement. "I hope I'm nothing like her when I reach her age." She sighed.

"You won't be, Rach." Will took her hand over the table. "You already love with every fiber of your being." He offered her a smile.

"How could I not when you say things like that?" Rachel batted her lashes playfully.

"Some people don't know how to love, though. Luckily for me, that is not your case." He stated.

"Luckily for us, that is not yours either." Rachel raised the bet. "Is it wrong to wish I could go back in time so I would never have learned she's my mother?"

"No, however you are feeling, it can't be wrong, sweetheart. You saw her after a long time; you are allowed to be upset." Will tilted his head. He knew Rachel had too many questions lingering on her mind, yet he couldn't answer most of them.

"Thanks, Will." Rachel squeezed his hand. "Now would you please hold me?" She requested as her eyes were set on his. All Rachel wanted was love and affection. Will could see that she wasn't hiding that fact from him; she never had.

"I was going to anyway." Will replied as he enveloped her in his arms.

"You are aware of how fortunate you are, right?" She said after pecking his lips once.

"I am." Will brushed a lose strand of her hair out of her face and placed it behind her ear. "You are a great reminder."

"Granted, but you also have a mother that loves you." Rachel shrugged breaking the embrace but remaining at a close proximity.

"And your dads worship you, Rach." Will felt he needed to remind her that she had never really needed Shelby.

"I know, but she carried me for nine months... and I look like her but none of that seems to matter or affect her in the slightest. And tonight she saw me and all she could think of saying to me was that she was disappointed because we are together?" Rachel said showing both, sadness and confusion.

"Honey, she's not right and you know it. Don't take what she said to heart, please. You know better than that."

"I know but... I wouldn't ask for her to love me at this point, yet some degree of acceptance would have been nice." Rachel sighed. Suddenly her words hit Will. That acceptance Rachel longed for so much, his parents had given her already, and he had partially kept it from her. At that second, he realized he could give Rachel a mother: his.

"Rach, I wish I knew why she is the way she is; you deserve so much more..." Will was shaking his head as he said that. He was mad at Shelby for doing this to Rachel.

"It's fine, Will, I don't even know why I brought this up. I have you and you are more than enough." She half smiled.

"You will always have me." Will made a pause and kissed her cheek. "And not only me, I meant to tell you this over breakfast but, well... we took a detour..." Both giggled. "My parents want to meet you soon, like next weekend soon." Will paused again to gauge her reaction.

"Wow!" Rachel laughed trying to read him.

"It's totally up to you, Rach." He said softly.

"I for one believe it would be pleasant to have more people on our side, Will." She nodded. "That being said, I don't think it's only up to me. I want to meet your mom and dad, but only if we are both ready to take that step." Rachel said hindering her real question.

"We are." Will reassured her without missing a beat. After seeing Shelby he was convinced that he had been half wrong before. Letting people be part of their bubble wasn't the problem. The key was to choose wisely who to let in.

"I believe so too." Rachel kissed him. "But I think we should wait two weeks, that way we can plan everything perfectly, what do you say?"

"That sounds great to me." Will smiled at how they thought alike. Without knowing he wanted to wait a bit longer, Rachel had the same idea he had in mind.

"I am so excited now!" She beamed at him.

"Me too, me too." Will smiled in return. For some reason he felt everything was falling into place.

After that, the couple discussed how they would handle Will's parents coming to town and reached the conclusion that during their visit Will would stay with Rachel at her apartment, while the Schuesters could stay at his. It was a bold statement to make in front of his family, yet one both Will and Rachel felt necessary.

Once dinner was over, they went back to his apartment. When Will was unlocking the door, they heard the one in front opening, making them both turn.

"Hey." Lisa said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hi." Rachel and Will said at the unison.

"Ummm, I know it's late but there is something I need to tell you." The woman said sighing.

"It's fine, we were going to have some tea. Would you like to join us?" Rachel offered warmly after exchanging a quick look with Will. She could see something was going on.

"Sure, thanks." Lisa followed them inside.

The two women sat on the couch and Will joined them moments later handing them their hot beverages.

"I'll cut right to the chase." Lisa warned them. "Joe and I went out last night and then again today, for coffee."

"That's great. I'm glad it's working out for you." Will said, slightly confused.

"That's not it. I think... he's obsessed with Rachel." Lisa looked at Will and Rachel back and forth after delivering her suspicions.

"What?" Will asked filled with concern. "What do you mean?"

"We didn't do much talking last night, but today all he did was ask me about her. I think he just wants to go out with me to get information." Lisa looked down at her hands.

"I am so, so sorry that happened, Lisa... " Rachel expressed genuinely. "I feel we owe you an explanation." She paused. "Mr. Morgan used to date my mother, and by that I mean the one who bore me and then left me behind." Rachel sighed. "We look alike and he noticed, obviously... I swear if I had thought he would use you, introducing you would have never crossed my mind." Rachel confessed to a very shocked Lisa, while Will rubbed her arm. He knew this was, too, a difficult position for Rachel to be in.

"Wow. Now I get it." Lisa half smiled; she believed what Rachel had said. "Joe is a piece of work."

"He sounds like one." Will agreed almost greeting his teeth. He hated thinking his boss was asking questions about Rachel. The very idea made him sick to his stomach.

"I won't be seeing him again but I thought it was fair you knew." Lisa stated.

"This is unacceptable." Will shook his head. "He shouldn't have used you, and he shouldn't be fixating on Rach. I speak for both of us here, Lisa; we are sorry you are in the middle of this."

"Don't worry, this is not on you. You were being nice to me." Lisa was being very understanding.

"That was the idea, yes." Rachel nodded. "Mr. Morgan is a moron for not appreciating the kind of person you are."

"I told him that." Lisa laughed.

"Good for you!" Rachel joined her laughter. "And thanks for telling us."

"No problem, just be careful."

"We will." Will said without hesitation.

"Good, now I'll leave you alone." Lisa stood up.

"Have a good night, Lisa!" Rachel stood up and to Lisa's surprise, she hugged her.

"Ok... likewise." The neighbor laughed while Rachel let go of her. Then left.

"Wow." Will said as soon as he heard the door closing.

"This feels more and more like a soap opera..." Rachel sat next to him and placed her hand on his knee. "Your boss is ridiculous."

"I will kill him if he tries to get to you, Rach." Will whispered.

"Resorting to violence won't be necessary, Will. I highly doubt he will try anything else." Rachel tried to calm him.

"He better not." Will chuckled.

"We won't let him." She said tenderly, while standing up. "Let's go to bed, shall we?" Will took her hand and stood up without saying a word. Secretly, he was thinking of ways to kill his boss.

Rachel fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Her emotions and the endorphins she had released throughout the day had crashed, leaving her exhausted. On the other hand, Will tossed and turned for hours. He couldn't get rid of the feeling that he needed to protect Rachel, and he felt guilty for accepting Shelby's offer to replace her. He knew it was stupid to regret that considering that if he hadn't, he and Rachel wouldn't have reunited, but at the same time he could sense Mr. Morgan was going to try to do something else. And Rachel's words were still on his mind. She had always wanted acceptance and a mother figure, and he had yet to tell her how he felt about it. He debated whether to wake her up, weighing the pros and cons, only to decide that if the roles were reversed, he would have wanted her to be completely honest with him.

"Rach?" He stoke her hair lightly and heard her sigh. "Are you awake?"

"I am now." She turned to him half asleep. "What is it? Nightmare?" Rachel caressed his chest looking into his eyes lovingly.

"No, but I can't sleep." He shrugged feeling like a jerk for waking her up, yet he loved the way she was trying to comfort him.

"Aw, Will..." Rachel kissed his cheek. "You need your rest, do you want a midnight snack?" She asked opening her eyes wide. Rachel felt it was her duty to help him sleep. Will raised an eyebrow as soon as he heard her say "midnight snack". "William Schuester! Don't be naughty!" She chastised him.

"I didn't say a word, Rach..." Will tried to look and sound innocent.

"Like that was necessary... you raised your eyebrow, Mister!" She poked him on the ribs playfully.

"Okay, you got me there, but that's not why I woke you. I need to tell you something." He nodded while capturing her hand in his over his chest.

"Let me guess, you love me and can't live without me?" Rachel snuggled into him.

"Okay, I wanted to tell you two things." Will laughed.

"Then what are you waiting for? Tell me."

"I think you should accept my mother's friend request, Rach. I know you want to. I told you to hold on because I was overwhelmed but I think you'll enjoy talking to her. Sometimes I feel I'm too old-fashioned, you know?" He confessed.

"I see... but answer this, are you more nervous than you led me to believe about me meeting your family?" Rachel was starting to smell his fears.

"A little bit, perhaps." He kissed her head. "I know I shouldn't be and this has nothing to do with you or me not being committed enough but I may be rusty when it comes to introductions..." Will sighed.

"It's actually cute that you are so nervous, Will; it shows how important this is for you." Rachel combed his hair with her fingers. "But quit worrying. I promise me meeting your family will be a lot better than Shelby finding out." She smiled. "Don't lose sleep over this."

"Okay, I promise I won't. I love you." He drew her closer, Will realized he actually needed Rachel to reassure him this time.

"Me too, and I will add your mom. I'm sure we will start with the right foot since we have a very special person we adore in common." Rachel whispered.

"I know, but promise you won't let her post pictures of me when I was little on Facebook." Will joked.

"I didn't think of that; hmmm, now I have to tell her to bring some family photo albums." Rachel said with seriousness.

"Oh, boy..." Will hugged her.

"You think you can go back to sleep now?" Rachel scanned his eyes.

"I can try." Will replied feeling a huge weight had been lifted off his chest.

"Good," She kissed his lips quickly. "Let me know otherwise."

"I will, good night, Rach." He tightened his arms around her.

"Sweet dreams." Rachel threw a leg over his and closed her eyes.

"Rach, wait."

"Yeah?" She opened her eyes again.

"About that midnight snack... can I still have it?" Will rubbed her back.

"Of course, but you can also make it yourself." Rachel giggled, she was too comfortable to move.

"That's not what I meant." He kissed her shoulder.

"Will! You are insatiable!" Rachel burst into laughter, yet she didn't pull away.

"I guess..." He pushed the sheets down and off them.

"I honestly thought you were craving something sweet after I told you to skip dessert." Rachel shook her head.

"I DO crave something sweet." Will cupped her face and kissed her nose.

"I can see that..." She giggled. "We are up anyway so we might as well indulge..." Rachel winked at him. Soon enough his lips were on hers.

Meanwhile, in a different part of the city, Shelby was staring at Beth sleeping as memories of Rachel and Will kissing replayed in her head. She shook her head and typed a quick text on her cellphone.

"Hey Joe, this is Shelby. I'm back in town and we need to talk." She pressed "send" and sighed.


	19. Chapter 19

"**Bricks" **

**Chapter XIX**

The weekend went by too fast for Will and Rachel's liking. It was now Monday, which meant he had to work and see his idiotic boss, while she had classes to attend. In addition, they had scheduled many auditions for that day. So a hectic Monday it was...

Rachel had been bored out of her mind during her classes and she was very weary about the assignment she had been given. She really missed Glee and the way Will led the group. She tried to find motivation, but her professors weren't good at pep talks and their assignments just didn't cut it for Rachel. She tried not to think about it much while she was on her way to an audition, but the truth was the brunette felt alone in college. So far nothing had been the way she had expected. Thankfully, her cell phone rang and she smiled when she heard the personalized ring tone.

"Hey, there." Rachel said trying to hide her excitement.

"Berry! Please cut the crap, let's be besties again. You know you miss me." Santana said smirking.

"I do and before you say anything else I want you to know how utterly sorry I am for my behavior. Even though your joke was ill timed I acknowledge I was wrong for treating you the way I did. I shouldn't have lashed out at you." Rachel admitted.

"It's fine, Juno, I get it. You were cray cray at the time. I would have called sooner if you hadn't asked me not to talk to you again."

"I was under a lot of stress and you sent me that picture and it was too much... that baby looked like a tiny critter, San!" Rachel complained.

"I was being funny, but I get that you thought I was insensitive. I didn't mean to make you mad. Forgive me?" Santana's tone lowered. She had been feeling guilty for making her friend so upset.

"Consider it all forgiven. I'm not expecting so it's all perfect. "

"Yay, B! So what's up?"

"A lot has happened recently, actually. I'm glad you called me, San." Rachel stopped walking in front of the building where the audition was held.

"Uh, oh, what is it, Berry?" Santana sat on her bed.

"Shelby is in town and she saw Will and I kissing. It just... the way everything unfolded from then on... it wasn't pretty." Rachel sighed.

"Ugh, that woman! Did you at least put her in her place? Was there a cat fight?" Santana tried to soften the mood when in reality she was shaking her head and holding her eyes closed knowing how much pain the encounter must have caused to her best friend.

"No cat fight took place but I did kiss Will in front of her for a second time after both of us told her how we feel about her." Rachel shared proudly. "Needless to say, she did not approve our relationship."

"Good for you! I bet she's jealous of you, B. You are young and she's old, that's it."

"Maybe but she's..." Rachel shook her head, finishing that sentence was an insane thing to do.

"Don't say it. She's no one, she's nothing but a frigid could-have-been and you are you. Oh, and by the way, everyone in Lima knows about you and the Schuester. His mom has a big mouth." Santana laughed.

"Really? Wow!" Rachel laughed too. "I didn't see THAT coming."

"Then you won't believe this: even Sue is team Sherry. She said, and I quote 'Of course Rachel Berry would love one William Schuester; she's short and can't see that rats' nest he calls hair style.'" The Latina said imitating Ms. Sylvester. "How crazy awesome is that? Right?"

"Aw... but I love his hair! Will has been perfect, San. I don't mean to brag but he is the best." Rachel sighed. "Not only he was very sweet to me when I thought I was having his twins, I wish you had seen him confronting Shelby; he called her a loser!" Rachel smiled at the memory.

"He's it for you; I've always known that. If only you had been more of a whore during High School..." Santana teased.

"San!" Rachel blushed.

"Come on! Don't tell me you don't think about the crazy stuff you could have done with him on that piano!"

"I don't!" Rachel paused. "Perhaps I do think about his desk... but not his old one, his current one, which is still off limits, so don't get any ideas."

"I knew it!" Santana screamed. "Just try not to get him fired, okay?"

"I won't. That's just a fantasy, and I just told you his office is not an option. Pay attention, San!" Rachel berated her friend.

"Not an option, riiiiiiiiight..." Santana let out a humorless laugh.

"So how is Finn?" Rachel changed the topic.

"He's peachy. I'm making him rearrange the furniture of my whole house just for kicks. My mom loves him." Santana confessed causing Rachel to laugh.

"You two are the odd couple. San, I have faith in you." Rachel nodded.

"Yeah, it's crazy but we work so whatever. Team Fanta for the win."

"Have you told him you love him, San?" Rachel smiled victoriously.

"Berry! Don't do that!" Santana complained.

"I didn't do a thing. I merely asked you a question." Rachel played dumb.

"You asked because you assume I love the guy."

"Yes, am I wrong to believe so?" Rachel pressed the issue.

"No but you shouldn't have done that." Santana chuckled.

"So he doesn't know, huh?" Rachel smirked.

"No, and he won't until he says it first." The Latina explained. "Meanwhile he'll be moving heavy stuff around."

"Of course... Don't worry, though, he will tell you sooner rather than later, San."

"He better! It's about damn time!" Santana screamed. "Oh well, I should go now, B. Be safe and call me soon."

"I promise I will. Have a nice day, San." Rachel said before hanging up and going to her audition.

Unexpectedly, for the first time since she started auditioning, Rachel felt she had made a great impression. As it turned out, being so overwhelmed by her emotions had made her very believable as an actress. Granted, when she cried, she could feel the weight of her tears on her face and the knot on her stomach was almost too much. Then again, she saw the look on the Casting Director's face and felt proud of herself. Her raw emotions were a double edge sword, yet her acting had benefited from that.

Rachel went to three more auditions that day and got positive feedback in all of them, then she texted Will and they agreed to meet at her apartment. She took a quick shower before he got there and waited for him with regular pancakes. To her surprise, Will also had good news to share and he had decided to treat her with fruit salad.

As they ate on her couch, Will and Rachel couldn't stop telling one another about their respective good feelings about their auditions. They were finally making progress in that department. It was quite surreal. There they were, barefoot in her living room, giggling and giving one another high fives while the still unnamed kitten slept on the coffee table.

"The only thing I hope for now is that our shows are not at the same time." Rachel joked.

"Let's not think that far ahead, honey." Will laughed.

"Why not? That is a real possibility."

"Would that be a problem, Rach?" Will was suddenly concerned.

"Not at all but that would mean I wouldn't be able to attend to each and every function of yours..." She pouted.

"That's what you plan on doing if our shows are not at the same time?" Will laughed before kissing her quickly.

"Of course! How would I keep your groupies away otherwise?" Rachel narrowed her eyes.

"You are adorable. I should be worrying about your fans, not the other way around." Will smirked.

"You are not? And if so, would you mind elaborating?" She narrowed her eyes even more not hiding the fact that she wanted Will to be jealous and overly protective.

"I trust you." Will held her hand.

"I trust you as well, but I don't trust those skunks." She shook her head causing him to laugh.

"You are funny, sweetheart." Will stated, yet he was flattered by the fact she was jealous of imaginary fans.

"I have a great sense of humor, I know. " Rachel grinned. "I really needed this to happen to us, you know? We are getting there, Will, I can feel it!" She clapped her hands.

"Me too, and this couldn't have happened at a better time." Will wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He still remembered how she had told him that she couldn't fail when they were on his rooftop.

"I agree, I thought I was going to lose it today, Will. I swear, I have this lame assignment for class... I don't know what to do with it and it's KILLING me!" Rachel huffed while massaging the palm of his hand, then proceeded to lay her head on his shoulder.

"Maybe I can help you with it." Will intertwined their fingers, so far Rachel had never been excited about her classes and he was worried about that but hadn't addressed it.

"I was going to ask you to... I have to sing a song about being at a crossroads and I can't think of anything good, as a matter of fact, I can only think about this one piece but I know you will not like it..." Rachel's voice showed exasperation.

"So you do have a song in mind... but you don't want to give it a try because of me? What song is it, honey?" Will was confused. This was a weird time for her to show how attentively she used to listen at what he had to say when he was in charge of Glee.

"It's silly, Will, forget I even mentioned it." She shook her head. "Just help me find a good song, please."

"I want to get to the bottom of this first. Why do you think I won't like the song you picked?" Will scratched his head, he couldn't think of a reason for her to be so secretive. Nor could he find a proper explanation as to why she was going against her gut feeling.

"Let's just say there is a precedent of you refusing to do the songs by this artist, then you caved and it all ended up in a disaster." Rachel tilted her head and pleaded with her eyes for him not to keep asking questions.

"Oh... now I know what you are talking about... well, I don't think it's a good idea, no." Will said seriously when in reality he had no idea what Rachel was referring to.

"See? I knew you would say that! If Britney Spears wasn't the best of ideas in High School, how can she fit in a College assignment?" Rachel shook her head as Will bit his lower lip. "Why are you biting your lip? What did you do? You always bite your lower lip when you are up to something you don't want me to know." She accused him.

"What?" Will was shocked at her attention to detail, then again, he should have known he was going to be caught in his lie.

"You heard me, what did you do?" Rachel let go of his hand and crossed her arms.

"Nothing." Will laughed.

"I do not believe you." She narrowed her eyes.

"Fine, I was bluffing, I didn't know you were talking about Britney Spears and I didn't want to have an argument so I pretended to know so you would tell me willingly." Will said shrugging, hoping Rachel wouldn't be upset.

"You tricked me? Will! You tricked me!" She uncrossed her arms. "Wow, you are good." Rachel laughed. "I told you it was silly..."

"Honey, it's not silly. Let me hear the song. If I don't like it, I promise I will tell you." He kissed her forehead.

"I haven't practiced. It's just been in my head... I cannot perform for my biggest fan without practicing first." She smiled playfully trying to persuade Will not to make her sing.

"Then this can be your practice. Come on, Rach, let me hear you." He took her hands in his again and made her stand along with him. They were now facing one another. "Close your eyes."

"Will..." She was ready to argue with him.

"Don't you trust me?" He said in a soft tone.

"Yes but..."

"No buts, close your eyes." He commanded her and she complied. "Now take a deep breath." Rachel did as he said. "Good." He smiled as soon as he notice her relax. "Whenever you are ready, Rach." Will encouraged her. He was already smiling. None of his students could make him as exited as he was whenever he knew he was going to listen to her sing. In addition, none of them mattered to him as much as she did. Will recalled what his father had said over the weekend and sighed. It was true; she had always been his favorite.

"All right." She took another deep breath. "Here I go."

"I'm all ears." Will nodded and squeezed her hands encouraging her.

_I used to think  
>I had the answers to everything,<em>

Rachel started timidly, looking into his eyes. Will half smiled at her song choice. Of course she was afraid to sing that and show vulnerability among her college peers.

_But now I know  
>Life doesn't always go my way, yeah...<br>Feels like I'm caught in the middle  
>That's when I realize...<em>

Rachel took some air from her diaphragm.

_I'm not a girl,_

She belted out the verse, as Will let go of one of her hands to place his on her abdomen and help her with her breathing. She smiled in return.

_Not yet a woman.  
>All I need is time,<br>A moment that is mine,  
>While I'm in between.<em>

Rachel covered his hand with her own; he wasn't only helping her getting more air, he was also encouraging her.

_I'm not a girl,  
>There is no need to protect me.<br>It's time that I  
>Learn to face up to this on my own.<br>I've seen so much more than you know now,  
>So don't tell me to shut my eyes.<em>

Tears started to form in her eyes. Rachel was thinking about Shelby and how she had treated her as a little girl. Will felt a knot form in his stomach but at the same time he was happy Rachel was canalizing her emotions through the song.

_I'm not a girl,  
>But if you look at me closely,<br>You will see it in my eyes.  
>This girl will always find<br>Her way._

She finished the song there and looked at Will demanding a review.

He couldn't speak, the former Glee coach knew words were useless. He simply pulled Rachel closer and hugged her strongly. She cried for a few minutes in his arms and then looked into his eyes again.

"You know that was flawless, Rach. I'm so proud of you." He smiled softly, wiping her tears.

"Thank you, Will." She smiled back at him. They both knew she wasn't thanking him for his feedback on the performance.

Meanwhile, Shelby and Joe were having coffee at a crowded coffee house. She had her arms folded and was staring at him intently while he was shaking his head slowly.

"Why did you want me to hire him?" Joe asked, dreading the fact they were talking about Will.

"Because he was good to his former Glee students but now I know he was too good to one in particular." Shelby nodded.

"What do you mean?"

"There is something I never told you, Joe. I was once the surrogate and egg donor for a gay couple. As a result, I had a baby girl in Lima, Ohio." Shelby looked down at her feet.

"Rachel... I knew it; the resemblance was striking... Wow, she's your daughter, and she's dating Will Schuester." Mr Morgan thought out loud.

"You've met her?" Shelby looked up at him.

"Yes, she's visited him a few times." He said neglecting to inform her of the time he had seen her at Will's building. "Is that why you don't like him now? Because he's involved with her?"

"It's not just that. Rachel was his student. I never thought he would be capable of taking advantage of her, especially after knowing that she's my kid." Shelby sighed. "He and I had something for like a minute. Nothing major went on but it makes me wonder if he was attracted to me because he always had his eye on Rachel or if it is the other way around."

"I'm speechless right now. First, you come back. Now, I learn you have a daughter and that the person I hired because of you is dating her, a former student of his, no less, I don't know where to..."

"I'm sorry this is too much... I always knew I had an excessive amount of emotional baggage for you to handle." Shelby interrupted him.

"Is that why you left?" Joe shot a look at her.

"Yes, but I made a mistake. I've missed you, Joe. And my job." Shelby said looking straight into his eyes.

"Me too, but what are you really saying, Shelby?"

"I want it all back." She took his hand over the table as Joe smiled in return.

Rachel's alarm went off killing Sherry's dreams with the first beep. She turned it off and sat in bed, then looked at Will who had just opened his eyes.

"Good morning, sleepy head." She smiled at the sight of him half asleep.

"Hi." Will replied still laying on his back. "I don't want to wake up." He added.

"Me neither. I hate Tuesdays but we don't have an option." Rachel shrugged. "But if you want, you can stay here for a couple of minutes and I'll bring us breakfast here?" She offered.

"Or I could call in sick and we can spend the whole day together..." Will sat up and kissed her cheek.

"Will Schuester I can't believe my ears! Are you encouraging me to do the wrong thing?" She asked as curiosity filled her.

"Maybe it's not the wrong thing. I mean, you are stressed..." He tried to play innocent.

"You know the idea is very enticing but I have to turn in a paper and you shouldn't be giving your boss anything to say about you." She cupped his face and kissed him tenderly on the lips.

"But..." Will was ready to present his case when the bell rang. "Are you expecting anyone, Rach?" Will frowned.

"No, well sort of. I ordered something online the other day; I'm guessing it's here." She rushed out of bed and exited the room. Will followed her.

"Honey you are not answering the door." He grabbed her wrist. She was wearing baby blue short shorts and a matching tank top. "I'll get it." Rachel nodded and sat at her dining table as Will opened the door and received a small package. "What's this?" He asked handing her a box big enough for an apple to fit.

"Something nice I'm going to wear for you tonight." Rachel replied smiling smugly.

"Is that so?" Will sat beside her. "Can I get a peek?" He said filled with curiosity before kissing her shoulder once.

"Yes, tonight you can." Rachel giggled. "Let's have breakfast now." And with that she walked toward the kitchen, leaving the box on the table and a stunned Will staring at it.

Later that day, both Will and Rachel texted one another with great news. Their instincts had been right, they both got call backs. In his case it was for an off Broadway revival of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf", while Rachel had been called for a very questionable play: "The Sweetest Thing: The Musical". Regardless, they were over the moon. Someone had liked them enough to call them to audition a second time. After exchanging congratulations and I love yous, Rachel had to go back to class and Will was requested to see Principal Morgan at his office.

Will didn't like his boss at all. He never had, really, but after hearing what Lisa had told him and Rachel, he had started to hate the man. He simply couldn't stomach the thought of him obsessing over Rachel; yet, there was nothing Will could do about it, which was another reason for him to be infuriated.

He entered Principal Morgan's office and sat in front of him only to hear the man ask him for a detailed written report on each and every one of his Glee students. Will thought that was a pointless task, yet he said he would have it done by the end of the week and returned to his office cursing under his breath. He was sure Mr. Morgan just wanted to keep him busy.

As he started working on the reports, all Will could think about was the box Rachel had received. It was really small, which naturally suggested its contents weren't large. Will's mind was going a mile a minute imagining what Rachel could be wearing for him later that evening. He was 99% sure a tiny thong would be involved and he couldn't wait to see it. At the same time, he was amazed at how a box was turning him on.

Hours later Will was opening the door of his apartment; he and Rachel had agreed to meet there. He smiled when he saw her pink purse on the table and walked across the living room, towards his bedroom.

"Rach, honey, are you in my bedroom?" He said in a tone loud enough for her to hear but low enough for her not to jump up in bed in case she was taking a nap.

"Yes, could you come here for a minute?" She replied causing him to speed up his pace.

"Sure, how can I..." His words died in his throat as his jaw dropped to the floor. Rachel was sitting in his bed wearing nothing but her mega-watt smile and a golden necklace that read "Will".

"I told you I would wear something nice for you." She locked eyes with him while tracing her collarbone with her fingers.

"Rach..." Will couldn't voice what he was feeling. He was transfixed, staring at her necklace. His breath hitched when he sat in bed next to her and they looked into each other's eyes, the shared lust and adoration was there, visible in the dilation of their pupils, and the rapid rising and falling of their chests.

"Do you like it?" Rachel smiled once again, naturally she could see the effect she had caused on Will, who was now staring at her lips.

"I love it." He said softly, leaning to kiss her slowly but thoroughly. "You are so gorgeous." He kissed her again as he rested his hand on her knee. "Mouthwatering." He emphasized. "No one has ever done something so sweet and sexy at the same time for me." He stroke her leg gently.

"Rave reviews! Yay!" Rachel giggled laying down and pulling Will with her. She had never, EVER done anything like that before. In fact, she had never consider it until Will came along. Truth be told, she had never felt like an adult during her previous relationships; she had never experienced any kind of growth with them, but this was completely different.

"Mhm." Will laid on top of her, balancing his weight on his left arm. "Now I need to give you a matching five-star treatment." Will grinned before kissing her neck. There was something about Rachel wearing his name that had awoken the most possessive side of him. Granted, Rachel had wore Finn's name once upon a time, yet this was different. She had put a lot of thought into it, and she had wanted to surprise Will. He was in awe. That woman laying naked below him wanted him and only him, and wasn't shy about showing it. She was literally surrendering herself to him.

"You always do." She reassured him as she traced his jaw line with her fingers.

"I've never loved or wanted anyone this much, Rach." Will brushed her side with his hand looking for the ticklish spot only he knew she had slightly above her hips, causing her to shiver at his touch. "I don't know what you've done to me." He whispered his confession.

"Probably the same you've done to me." She said softly, quickly undoing his tie and starting to unbutton his shirt. "We've both changed, and I believe it was for the best." She pushed his shirt open still locking eyes with Will, who took it completely off before kissing her again.

"That led us here. It sure was, honey." Will took his undershirt off and claimed her lips passionately while Rachel rubbed circles on his bare back enjoying the feeling of their skin making contact.

"Will..." She moaned his name and broke the kiss when oxygen was a necessity. "I missed you today." She looked at him who was staring at her like she was dessert. "I couldn't stop thinking about your surprise." She purred sliding her hands between them and undoing his belt.

"Me neither, you are the best part of my day." He managed to say before she cupped him though his boxers eliciting a moan out of him.

"As I should be." She stated victoriously pushing his pants and boxers down with her hands and taking them off with the help of her feet.

"As you will always be." He raised an eyebrow and smiled at how fast she had gotten him naked.

"Granted." Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hungrily. She adored their playfulness, she adored him. Will deepened the kiss while his hand traveled down her body, causing them both to gasp in anticipation.

"Why did you surprise me today, Rach?" He whispered inches from her mouth, parting her folds slowly.

"No particular reason." She closed her eyes taking in the way he was teasing her. "I wanted to do something special for you." Her breathing became erratic when he started to massage her clit. "God, Will!"

"I love you so much..." He groaned sliding two fingers inside her before claiming her mouth in a brutal kiss. His tongue was massaging hers at the same pace his fingers moved, and Rachel wrapped her legs around his waist to get more contact. There was eagerness in each and action they performed. Suddenly he detached his lips from hers only to trail kisses down her collarbone, while he continued to pump his fingers in and out of her slowly.

"Faster, Will." She instructed him in a breathy voice, however, Will maintained his rhythm as he pressed mouth opened kissed to her breasts.

"No-uh. Let me take my time." He replied smiling, enjoying her whimpers.

"Mean." Was all she could say, Rachel knew he was making her frantic on purpose, but she was also aware of how rewarding he would be at the end.

"Mean? This is me loving you, Rach." Will grinned as he kissed her stomach inch by inch.

"Loving me at a torturous pace... oh." She sucked in a breath when he finally sped up his movements.

"I'm savoring every second, beautiful." He replied seconds before licking her clit. Rachel held her eyes closed and clawed her fingernails on his shoulder blades. Ecstasy was building up fast.

"Me too." Her hands were now on his hair, tangled in his curls, encouraging him to do more. Will hooked her legs over his shoulders and took his finger and his mouth off her, causing Rachel to immediately open her eyes and look at him. "Mean." She reiterated, narrowing her eyes. Will chuckled and shook his head, then thrust into her without warning. "Oh, Will! Yessssssss!" Rachel screamed. She was all worked up and already close.

"Happy now?" He changed the angle of his hips rendering her speechless, making her devolve into a series of moans and whimpers. "Tell me, Rach." He gripped her hips to thrust deeper.

"Very." She threw her head back and moved with him. "Will, I'm..."

"Don't." He cut her off smiling devilishly. "Wait a little longer, sweetheart."

"Can't." Her speech was impaired but the amount of pleasure she was experiencing.

"Yes you can. You can do whatever you set your mind to do." Will kept pounding into her. "Don't let go just yet." He whispered. "Look at me." Will challenged her. She opened her eyes and grew wetter when she saw the way he was looking at her while he moved inside her. His predatory eyes were burning into hers.

"It's too much... oh Will, don't stop!" She pleaded struggling to keep her eyes locked with his.

"I love you." He smiled and held her hand, she squeezed it and intertwined their fingers as her walls were closing in on him. "Let go now, precious." He said softly, still thrusting hard. They screamed each others names once as their release came. Rachel felt her body turning into jelly while Will slipped out of her and let her legs down only to crawl up her body again and kiss her lips. "Honey..." He sighed rolling them over and placing her above him. "Breathe." He kissed the top of her head proudly after wearing her down.

"I'm surprising you more often." She blinked twice, still feeling the last waves of her orgasm. Will let out a laugh as he covered both of them with the sheets.

"If that was 'just because,' I can't wait to see what you have in store." He wrapped his arms around her.

"Good!" Rachel snuggled into him. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone so excited about jewelery." She giggled.

"Liar." Will kissed her shoulder. "You knew what this would do to me." He tangled his finger on her necklace.

"Maybe." She smiled nonchalantly. "But I had to see it for myself." She whispered in his ear.

"That doesn't shock me." Will laughed.

Rachel's phone suddenly rang on his night-stand, however, she didn't move.

"Aren't you going to get that, Rach?" Will said with curiosity.

"No." She tightened her arms around him. Rachel knew who it was by the personalized ring tone. Her response made Will curious, Rachel would never not get the phone and risk miss knowing about a call back. He reached for her cell and then understood what was going on.

"It's Puckerman, which you already know..." Will stared at her.

"I'll call him back later." She rolled her eyes.

"Talk to him now; later we'll be busy again." Will winked at her and put Puck on speaker before Rachel could stop him.

"Berry, what's this BS about you and Mr. Schue?" Puck said without preamble.

"We are together, Noah." Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head at Will who was grinning uncontrollably.

"But he's old! He's Mr. Schue!" Puck huffed.

"He's not old! He's mature." Rachel complained while Will played with a strand of her hair.

"Whatever, he was like your father!" Puck yelled as Will opened his eyes wide.

"I don't know if you recall but I have two dads, Noah. Will was never a father figure to me." She threw her legs over Will and he got her hint. Immediately, he started caressing her tenderly.

"But he... " Noah was trying to make a case, yet Rachel had killed his stellar argument.

"He was YOUR paternal figure." Rachel stated closing her eyes. Will's touch was light, yet intoxicating.

"Yes! And now you're banging him!" Puck retorted.

"Language Noah." Rachel opened her eyes and exchanged a look with Will, who seemed to be amused by his former student.

"You are not denying it, Berry!" The frustration in Puck's voice was evident.

"No, I'm most certainly not, and I don't wish to discuss such an intimate matter with you." Rachel traced Will lips with her index finger.

"You wouldn't let me touch your boobs but you let him sleep with you? That's just wrong!" Puck complained while Rachel muffled Will's laughter with her hand.

"I love him." She simply stated disarming her friend.

"Yeah, makes sense. He's like a smart Finn that can dance." Puck realized causing Rachel to laugh. Will was nothing like Finn.

"He's perfect, we make the cutest couple." Rachel nodded as Will stared at her,kissing her hand.

"Tell him if he screws up I'll mess up his face." Noah informed her seriously.

"Just for the record, I would never let you physically harm him. Secondly, he won't hurt me, so threats are not necessary."

"That's what you thought about Finn and then you cheated on him with me." Puck said smugly.

"This is different, and I should never have engaged in..." Rachel was trying to phrase her sentence properly as she saw Will frowning.

"Hey! At least I got to..."

"Goodbye, Noah" Rachel turned her phone off before he could finish saying what she was preventing Will from knowing.

"He got to what?" Will asked immediately.

"Nothing, Will. Why did you put him on speaker?"

"Because he always wanted you and I admit it was thrilling to have you here like this without him knowing." Will shrugged.

"Well, it felt strange talking to him while I'm in the nude... and ironically enough that reminded me briefly of that time you called me when you were naked." Rachel sighed at the memory trying to hinder the fact she was changing the topic.

"Wait, when did I do that?" Will laughed.

"The day after we got here!" She beamed at him.

"You knew! I was about to take a shower, Rach. It wasn't what it looks like." Will tried to explain.

"I assumed that much since I heard the water running." She kissed his neck almost completely relieved to have shifted his attention towards them and away from Puck.

"Right. And I'm sorry I forced you to talk to him; it was immature." Will apologized, trying to get back to his original question.

"If you want to brag about us or your sexual prowess you should do that with me; he was unaware you were here sharing post coital bliss with me." Rachel giggled.

"I got jealous for a moment when I saw his name on the screen." Will admitted. "I remember being worried when you were dating him."

"That's so sweet of you to say, Will." Rachel pecked him. "That being said, I was never in love with him and by the sound of it he was upset because I'm romantically involved with his father figure not because he wants me." Rachel pointed out tracing idle figures on Will's chest.

"I don't know about that, Rach. He said he would mess up my face." Will chuckled.

"That's because he is like my older brother." She reasoned out loud.

"Your older brother who got to..." Will paused to let her fill in the blanks.

"Let it go, Will. That's not important." Rachel rolled her eyes.

"You can tell me anything, Rach." Will sighed and she noticed he was slightly worried about her keeping information from him.

"Okay, he touched my breasts but it was over my shirt and my judgment was clouded by my need of retaliation at the time." Rachel shook her head pushing the memory away, while Will groaned at what he had just learned. "You are not disappointed at me, are you?"

"Rach, I love you. I could never be disappointed at you." He cupped her breast. "But he's never touching you again." He smiled.

"Of course not! I'm wearing your name on my neck, aren't I?" She moaned as his hand was massaging her other breast and his erection pressed against her thigh.

"Yes, and my name never looked so sexy." Will claimed.

"Well, you look good on me." She replied propping herself on her knees and straddling him. "Do I look good on you?" She lowered her voice, stroking him once.

"Rach you are going to kill me today." Will replied in a hoarse voice guiding himself inside of her for a second time.

"Nonsense, this is me loving you." She winked.

After that day, they agreed on a 'no phones in the bedroom' policy.


	20. Chapter 20

A.N.: Hey everyone! So 20 chapters! I can't believe it! Thanks to everyone who has either favorited this story, submitted it to their alert list and specially yo those who always take the time to review. Also, a special thanks to BuffyAnne for doing a great job at editing!

"**Bricks"**

**Chapter XX**

A few days went by after both Will and Rachel had gone to their respective second audition and they had yet to hear back from the producers. While Rachel wasn't hopeful in the slightest, Will still had some remaining faith that maybe one of them would be called; however the case, they had both continued to go on casting calls non stop. They gave Rachel the thrill she wasn't getting from college, while they helped Will decompress after his classes. In a way getting their first call back had encouraged them, but they were quickly learning what they thought would be tough was even tougher, which meant the key was to not run out of patience and stay strong together. They were masterfully accomplishing the latter.

Rachel was about to get in line for her first audition of the day when her world suddenly came to an abrupt halt. A text message from Will caused her to catch her breath and run away from the auditorium she was in to head to his workplace. He hadn't asked her to rush to his side; however, in the petite brunette's mind she had no other option; she was never EVER going to be apart from Will in a moment of crisis. She knew he needed her, and his needs trumped a day of auditions. She was somewhat surprised by how there was no hesitation in her decision to put him first. Things had decidedly changed enormously. Her priorities had shifted since the first time Will's lips touched hers and she couldn't deny it. So yes, Rachel Berry could be in trouble but at the same time, now she knew what real love was and for that, she was ecstatic. All of the sudden all those lyrics to the romantic songs she had performed in her life had acquired a new meaning, a heavier yet sweeter one. Rachel smiled and sighed. She wasn't sure if she had found herself in that relationship or if she had lost herself in it.

While she was in the taxi on her way to the school Rachel tried to think of different kinds of plans and strategies to tackle the situation since this was the first time it was Will who had a problem. So far, in their time together, the only major juncture they had dealt with was the pregnancy scare, and Will had done all the dirty work while they were going though that. Now it was her turn and she was terrified. Adult relationships had a complexity to them that she hadn't quite experienced. Not entirely. Rachel knew she had to be up to par.

Rachel breathed in and out deeply and knocked on Will's office's door. She had texted him back that she was on her way so she knew he was expecting her to drop by, but she wanted Will to have a second to put himself together before she either jumped into his arms and peppered his face with kisses- which was Plan A- or before she started questioning him about what had gone so terribly wrong- Plan B.

"Come in." Will said weakly from his chair behind his desk. Rachel opened the door and let herself in quickly.

"Hey..." Her tone had never been softer. She took one look at Will and she was instantly aware that the situation was worse than she had originally imagined.

"Hi, Rach." Will turned in his chair to face her and shrugged, almost as if he was trying to apologize for something. Rachel closed her eyes for a second, feeling her heart breaking just by seeing how emotionally drained Will already was. She locked the door behind her and walked to him. Once she was in front of Will, she placed her hands on his shoulders and scanned his eyes in search of a clue as to what to say. She only saw sadness in him.

"What happened?" Rachel figured she would just cut straight to the chase. Will covered her hands with his and sighed, the news he had to share wasn't going to be music to her ears. AT ALL.

"Principal Morgan asked to see me in his office earlier and then he told me that he was approached by someone who made the observation that I am in a relationship with a former student of mine." Rachel pressed her eyes closed. Truth be told, they had never been concerned about that. "He said that would raise many questions and worries among the members of the school board and that he is obliged by principle to inform them." Will paused and stared at Rachel who opened her eyes and began shaking her head in disbelief.

"He's a cretin." Rachel stated sighing.

"I agree. He asked me to leave so word doesn't get out." Will squeezed Rachel's hand; he was glad she was there for him but he couldn't bear to see her sad, even if it was because she cared about him. On the other hand, Rachel couldn't believe her ears; she felt her knees becoming weaker by the time he finished telling her how he had gotten fired. She sat on his lap, both to prevent herself from falling and to be closer to Will.

"That's utterly absurd. We can fight him, Will." She placed her hand under his chin and tilted his head up to peck his lips. "He cannot win. We are not letting him, not without raising havoc first. I mean, he dated Shelby for crying out loud!"

"But he would still ruin my reputation. It's not worth it, Rach." Will shook his head slowly, still locking eyes with her. He was embarrassed to be the one opting not to fight back but at the same time, he really didn't have the strength to do so. In addition, Will knew how being involved with an ex-student would look like and criticism was the last thing he needed.

"But it's so not fair! Ugh! We are not doing anything wrong; granted, you were my vocal coach but you are not now. How can there still be so many prejudices at this time and age?" Rachel said feeling rage building up inside her.

"Because people are still ignorant when it comes to love, I believe." Will kissed her cheek.

"Shelby is obviously behind all this. She is the only one with enough information, motive and opportunity... I am so sorry, Will... She has no boundaries! I mean, she sent Jesse to seduce me, she dated her boss and now she gets you fired? She's a spineless bitch!" Rachel huffed causing Will to laugh. "You are laughing." She stated the obvious as a way of asking for an explanation, the way she always did.

"Yes, you are the only person who could make me laugh at a time like this." Will rubbed her forearm.

"It wasn't intentional, that just came out that way; however, I'm glad I'm making you feel a bit better." She smiled rubbing her hand down his cheek.

"You always do." He sighed."Thanks for coming, Rach."

"I would have hated it if you had to go through this alone." Rachel took a look at his now empty office paying special attention at the box filled with all his things, standing by his door. Everything had happened so fast and out of the blue that the situation was hard to process. Yet there was nothing more real than a recently cleared out office to make reality sink in.

"I love you." Will said in a whisper, causing her to look into his eyes once again. Even when he didn't know what else to say, he chose to declare his love for her.

"I love you too." Rachel closed the space between their faces and pressed her forehead to his.

"Even if I'm unemployed?" Will asked with a hint of sadness.

"Will!" Rachel pulled away slightly. "You are not out of a job because you are a bad teacher. This was Shelby's doing! It was her and that clown that holds the reigns of this, as of now, doomed school." She loosened his tie. "You have no reason to think any less of yourself. I won't allow it." She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest.

"I know but you deserve..." Will looked down unable to finish his own sentence. Rachel was already giving him a killer stare.

"I deserve the best, hence you. Period." She kissed his neck once and let her lips linger on his skin for a few seconds before she repeated the same action.

"Rach..." Will suddenly realized what Rachel was starting and how his own skin was heating up under her lips.

"What?" She looked up and to his eyes.

"You know what, sweetheart. We can't, not here." He rubbed her back praying she wouldn't take his negative as rejection.

"Why not? I'm feeling rebellious." Rachel trailed her fingers down his chest as she kept kissing his neck. "What is Mr. Morgan going to do? Fire you twice?" She started to undo his belt.

"You have a point." He took her hand in his in order to still her actions. "But I'm not one to encourage rebellion." Will closed his eyes as Rachel traced his jaw with her free hand. She took his brief moment of weakness as an opportunity to shift her body so she could straddle his lap.

"Don't encourage it then, just enable." She pulled him closer and kissed him softly, smiling into the kiss when she felt how aroused he was. "I promise I won't tell a soul." Rachel whispered, her mouth still close to his. Will opened his eyes.

"Rach, I know you are trying to cheer me up and it's CLEARLY working." He nodded. In spite of everything he had said so far, the fact was his body was reacting to her advances and he was aware that she knew that much. "But this is an educational institution and I..." He trailed off as she ran her hands down his chest.

"Yes, an educational institution that leaves a lot to be desired. You on the other hand..." Rachel took one of his hands and placed it on her thigh, slightly below the hem of her skirt. "Are desired."

"Please, sweetheart." Will massaged her thigh, trying to be soothing. "Don't tempt me like this." He said with the last shred of will power he had left.

"Why not?" She moved his hand further up her thigh. "Give a good reason not to pursue this."

"Because you are making it very hard for me to do the right thing." He took his hand back and stared at her apologetically.

"The right thing? Will, you've done the right thing all your life and we did nothing wrong. Plus, we have this office to ourselves for a bit... look at this as us being resourceful." She whispered to his ear.

"We can't, honey. This is not the time or place." Will closed his eyes knowing in advance that Rachel would be upset.

"Fine, I give in." Rachel stood up acting annoyed. "As appealing as the idea is, I am not letting you have your sexy way with me on your desk, I mean, Shelby's." Rachel said nonchalantly. Will grunted instantly.

"Damn it, Rachel." He stood up quickly and pushed her gently against his desk. She smiled victoriously at the sight of his green eyes darkening. She wasn't sure what had been the key to her success. It could easily have been the mention of them potentially getting some revenge without Shelby knowing or offering herself so shamelessly to then fake surrender. Whatever it was, she loved the fact that Will had given in.

"Oh, no, you waited too long to make that call, Will. Now I must sadly inform you that desk sex is off the table. You lost your chance." Rachel bluffed while Will got closer and closer to her.

"My chance? I think I've probably lost my mind." He pressed his body to hers and placed his hands on her hips.

"Not to mention your sense of decorum and inhibitions." Rachel added before wrapping her arms around his neck. Will hoisted her up and sat her on the edge of his desk.

"That too." He kissed her. "Thanks for this, Rach." Will slid his hands under her shirt to rub her back.

"Thanks for what?" She kissed his neck.

"Reminding me of what I CAN have." He placed his hands on her knees and started to slide them upwards. "Don't think for a second that I don't see what you have in mind here." He reached her panties and took them off quickly.

"Will, this is not a scheme of mine." She pulled him closer by his collar. "I'm merely turned on because we are in a forbidden place and you are too handsome." Rachel unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. "Plus, this is Shelby's desk... retaliation is arousing indeed."

"Riiiiiight, not a scheme at all." Will raised an eyebrow. "You are not trying to get my mind off of things, not at all..." He said with irony.

"Nope. Just like this is not a fantasy of ours either." Rachel giggled and pushed his pants down. "Am I correct?" She played with the waistband of his boxers while licking her lips.

"Absolutely." He smiled and parted her folds with his index finger, sighing at her readiness.

"Will..." She moaned in his ear as she pushed his boxers down and cupped him.

"Rach..." It was his turn to moan. " This won't be the best sex we have. I'm stressed, you are eager, we don't have much time until security comes to escort me out and on top of that we have to be quiet." He sighed.

"Will, that was just a terrible pitch." She laughed. "It's still going to be the best desk sex we have... we don't need excellence this time, just to take the edge off." She licked the shell of his ear, causing him to gasp.

"Good point." Will single-handedly laid Rachel down slowly and climbed on top of her, putting his weight on his forearm. His other hand was still under her skirt. "Comfortable?" He circled her clit with his index finger.

"Yes, but don't tease." Rachel narrowed her eyes.

"Let's have at least some foreplay." Will leaned down and kissed her lips.

"We CLEARLY don't need it." Rachel giggled wrapping her legs around his waist, urging him closer. Will laughed throatily. She was right; he was hard, she was wet and they had had some form of light foreplay on his chair.

"True." He guided himself inside Rachel and kissed her deeply to muffle her whimpers. Rachel drew him closer by pulling down at his tie.

"Let's look at the bright side, now I'm the only one who gets to call you Mr. Schuester." Rachel said with her eyes filled with fire. Then he started to move and all her jokes dissipated from her mind. "Will..." She whispered meeting his thrusts.

"I don't deserve you, Rach." He blurt out as he palmed her breasts over her shirt.

"Please don't say that." Rachel held him strongly. "I love you."

"Why?" He asked moving more frantically.

"Because you are you... mmm." Rachel moaned. "Don't question my mooootives. Faster." She demanded.

"As you wish." He complied, feeling them both getting close. "Honey?"

"Yes?" Rachel said out of breath.

"Keep being yourself in spite of me, okay?" Will pleaded with all the sweetness in the world while his body moved ruthlessly.

"No can do, sorry. Oh..." Rachel shook her head.

"Oh, God" Will raised his voice slightly, as he felt her walls closing in. "Why not?"

"Because I am who I am... mmm... because of you..." She managed to state before they both came together.

Will collapsed on top of Rachel and she hugged him strongly. Granted, her plan had worked, if she was right she had cheered him up and taken his mind away of where it was when she got there, but she had heard every word he had had said and Will's ego had taken a big hit.

"I love you." He declared smiling dreamily at her. Rachel cupped his face and kissed him slowly.

Moments later they were fixing their clothes, smiling from ear to ear, both thinking that even given the fact that Will had been fired, they had managed to make the most out of it instead of plainly freaking out. The truth was Will was right, fighting the Principal would have ruined his reputation and if Mr. Morgan was so determined to give Shelby her old job back there was nothing Sherry could do.

"Let's get out of here." Will hugged Rachel from behind as she settled her skirt.

"With pleasure. " She giggled as he let go of her.

Will took the box from the floor and carried it easily in one arm, then he opened the door and let Rachel out first, while he took a final look at his office and sighed. Wanting to silence his nostalgia, Rachel held his hand in hers and smiled tenderly at him; that gave Will the strength to cross the door.

The hallways were filled with students staring at the couple, most of them were whispering; news about Will leaving had traveled fast. Will and Rachel exchanged a look, the path to the exit door was going to be a scrutinized one.

"Chin up, Will." Rachel whispered. "Be proud of yourself; besides, you just had very hot sex with a future Broadway star, you should be smiling." Rachel blushed after stating that fact, however she didn't care, she just wanted to make Will smile even if it was for just a second.

"You are absolutely right, honey." Will smiled at her and looked ahead, with his head held high, as they started to walk.

All eyes were on them and whispers became louder when Principal Morgan and Shelby walked out of Mr. Morgan's office and towards the door. Rachel rolled her eyes and Will squeezed her hand. They had no option but to face the two people that had became their nemesis. Seconds later, the two couples were face to face.

"Shame on you." Rachel said to Mr. Morgan's face. The man opened his mouth to reply but Rachel quickly looked at her biological mother. "You should probably clean your desk. We decided to be fully indecent on it moments ago." She smiled gingerly, aware of how that fact would disturb Shelby. Will couldn't help but grin as well.

"You what?" Shelby asked mortified.

"His days here ended sooner that they should have but at least they did with a bang." Rachel added with pride. Will was surprised at how much information she was giving to her own mother, but at the same time, he thought Rachel was adorable even when she was being a cynic.

"You did not... have sexual relations in that office." Shelby managed to say trying to figure out if her daughter was bluffing. Meanwhile, Joe's jaw was nearing the floor.

"I'm afraid we did." Rachel nodded before pulling from Will's hand.

"We did." Will nodded as well, not caring about what his ex-boss and Shelby were thinking about him and Rachel. They had been punished enough already. "Now if you'll excuse us, we need to leave." He added opening the door for him and Rachel.

"Wow." Mr. Morgan expressed as he and Shelby watched Sherry leave the place swinging their joined hands.

"Oh boy..." Shelby shook her head. If she was trying to teach her daughter a lesson, she had failed miserably at it.

Rachel and Will were in a taxi on their way to his apartment. On any other occasion they would have enjoyed walking to his place but not this time, they needed to get away from that school as fast as possible. They were a few blocks away from the building and Will had been absolutely silent. Rachel was staring at him, awaiting some reaction.

"I can't believe you told her what we did in her office." Will suddenly burst into laughter.

"Neither can I! I think Santana possessed me at that moment." Rachel snuggled into him blushing furiously and joining his laughter.

"Maybe. Still, you got to her, Rach." He retorted out of breath from laughing so hard. "I don't think she's going to be using that desk now."

"She had it coming, Will. She tried to get to me through hurting you... I'm starting to think she never made it on Broadway because she has no heart. Sure the talent is there, but she's not able to feel any kind of emotion, much less portray them in a credible way." Rachel nodded matter-of-factly.

"And that is why you will make it. You have a huge heart." Will smiled kissing the top of her head. Rachel had made his day better and he was grateful for that.

"You mean the one that belongs to you?" She whispered softly, hugging him.

"Rach, you say the sweetest things." Will kissed the tip of her nose. Once again their bubble had provided him with comfort and love.

"Only to you." Rachel sighed. "We are going to get through this, Will. You are a wonderful person and you are capable of doing anything and everything; plus, let's be honest for a second, you weren't enjoying teaching."

"I know." Will sighed as well. She was right but he still refused to think about what was going to happen next. The only thing he knew at that moment was that he needed Rachel. "I never thought I would grow tired of teaching I just..." He trailed off when Rachel combed his hair with her fingers.

"You want to be on a stage as much as I do, Will, there is no shame in that. In fact, this is your chance. Maybe the return of the Wicked Witch of the West is a blessing in disguise. You probably don't see it that way now but things are what you make out of them, right?" Rachel gave him a quizzical look.

"Yes... and when did you concocted that speech, my love?" Will hugged her strongly.

"You were quiet for a few minutes." She bit her lower lip. "Regardless of that, I mean it; teaching was safe. It was just a job that paid the bills. Let's focus on the REAL future." Rachel smiled and pecked his lips.

"Let's do that." Will smiled. He loved the way Rachel was looking at what had happened, yet he was afraid her plan was slightly flawed. Regardless of their plans, he needed a job.

Meanwhile, at Will's former workplace Shelby and Mr. Morgan were sitting in his office staring at one another. They looked defeated, felt defeated and they had obviously been unprepared to face Will and Rachel fighting back in an alternative way. What once had sounded like the perfect course of action had helped them accomplished nothing at all. In fact, they looked like fools in front of part of the student body.

"Maybe we went too far, Shel." Joe finally had the guts to voice.

"We went too far? They christened my office!" Shelby replied furiously. "I admit that was clever considering we accused them for being indecorous, but... I still can't believe she came all the way here. Will Schuester is one very whipped man." She tapped her fingers on the desk.

"I didn't think she would come either; we miscalculated." Mr. Morgan added. They had made an honest mistake, the issue was that there was a fact lingering in the air. If Shelby had known her daughter even a little, she would have factored Rachel running to Will.

"Yes. And even if I had imagined she would show up, her attitude and her actions..." Shelby trailed off, she could never really asses Rachel.

"What were you expecting Rachel to do?" Mr. Morgan shrugged.

"I don't know, but not THAT. I thought we would be in control and... never mind. She's just a kid." Shelby couldn't say it but she had actually wanted Rachel to ask her to give Will his job back. As sick as it was Shelby needed her own daughter to feel she owed her something. Too many years too late it was hitting Shelby that the petite brunette would never ask anything from her. Not after she had brushed her off. Without her, Rachel had became a strong women, and that was killing mommie dearest.

"You can get your job back, Shelby, but can't control your daughter." Joe took her hand over the table.

"I know, but... ugh, I'm getting a headache." Shelby said frustrated, yet Joe knew that was his cue not to keep asking questions or making remarks about the very complicated mother-daughter relationship of sorts.

"I hope you feel better tonight, Shel." Joe smiled at her. They had made arrangements to have a celebratory dinner together. "We can't miss the point here, Will Schuester is gone and you are back where you belong." He nodded.

"I concur. But it's hard not to wonder what they are doing right now..." Shelby thought out loud. She knew for a fact she had made the couple stronger. The Principal just stared at her; he didn't want to voice what he believed Will and Rachel were doing.

Sherry entered Will's apartment, still discussing the events that had taken place earlier.

"It's ironic if you think about it, Will. When you were my teacher we... there was something between us, even though we pushed it down, there was a spark and... now you end up being fired anyway, because of me..." Rachel turned to Will who had just locked his door and was now leaving his box on the floor.

"It's not because of you, all right?" He approached her. Will was feeling guilty enough about losing his job; hearing her blaming herself was too much.

"But it's because of Shelby..." Rachel looked down for a brief second. She did feel partly responsible about him being let go.

"Her actions don't reflect on you." Will said seriously, placing his hands on her shoulders. That very touch conveyed a significant amount of irony, since that was how Will used to calm Rachel down when she was his student.

"You are sweet but..." Rachel pursed her lips. She knew he was trying to make her feel better when it was her who should be helping him sooth.

"But nothing. This is not your fault; we didn't do anything wrong, not back then and not now." Will raised his voice slightly, he was starting to show how upset he was at Joe and Shelby.

"Yet you lost your job..." Rachel stated shaking her head. Maybe if she hadn't been so confrontational when they saw Shelby at the theater, he would still be employed.

"It was never mine to begin with, Rach. Mr. Morgan didn't want me. He hired me to please Shelby, and he got rid of me for the same reason." Will sighed looking at her lovingly.

"But..." Rachel looked into his eyes matching his devotion. They were both trying to comfort the other.

"Shh, it's fine, I'm fine." He drew circles in her shoulders.

"I love you and I hate this happened. She... I almost wish we had broke the law back then just because I feel so rebellious right now. This whole thing is ridiculous!" Rachel said filled with outrage causing Will to laugh.

"I would have never broken the law, Rach, never in my life. But I have to admit, if there is someone I would break every single rule for, that's you, sweetheart." He smiled with pride.

"So I am THAT hard to resist?" Rachel arched an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah." He said without wasting any time.

"Well, you are in luck right now, because you don't have to resist." Rachel undid the top button of her shirt.

"That's true. I have millionaire's luck." He kissed the exposed skin as she continued to unbutton, offering more and more of her.

"So what does that make me?" Rachel giggled while Will backed her down slowly until he had her against the wall. Somehow the subject had been half dropped.

"Well, you look like a million bucks." He bit her nipple over her bra enjoying how she whimpered in pleasure. "However, I think you are my lucky charm."

"Some lucky charm! I got you fire..." She sucked a breath when he squeezed her other breast roughly.

"You got me fired up." Will ended her sentence, correcting her statement. His voice was hoarse and filled with want.

"That too. Mmmm, Will..." She stroked his neck.

"Tell me you want me." It wasn't a request. He looked up into her eyes and she could read him perfectly. He craved feeling needed, wanted, desired. He had just been fired, and the only thing he had, was her. Their bubble was his only shelter at that point.

"Of course I want you." She cupped his head in her hands and smiled at him. "You are the love of my life!"

"Tell me more." He was demanding, yet she could hear a hint of sadness in his voice. Rachel knew this was the time to not hold back at all. She was going to give him everything he needed, even though he already had her body, mind, heart and soul.

"I love you and I wouldn't trade what we have for anything in the world." Rachel managed to say breathing heavily. He was kneeling in front of her and his hands where on her inner thighs now. "I love that you are the person who knows me best, and that you are kind, and sweet, but passionate... " She had to pause when he ripped her panties and started to lick around her lips. "Hmmm... creative... talented... Will, please!" She screamed when he lapped at her clit.

"Keep going, babe." That was the one time Rachel didn't go off on him for calling her that. She couldn't take it personally and she knew Will wasn't trying to irritate her. Not to mention she forgot all about it when he slid two fingers inside her.

"You are my soulmate. My friend, my lover, my mentor, guardian... oh... " He was licking her clit slowly while moving his fingers faster and roughly inside of her. Rachel had to make a huge effort to collect her thoughts and keep talking. "You are handsome and chivalrous, selfless... talented, creative... "

"You said talented and creative before." Will pointed out making very clear that he was paying as much attention to her words as he was to her body.

"I meant in bed this time." Rachel giggled. "Will please I need more. I need all of you." He didn't reply, he just stroked her harder, successfully impairing her speech and leading her to climax.

"Rach..." His features softened as he stood up again. He was completely lost in lust but he was still thinking that he was just an unemployed man.

"Hey." She smiled and kissed his forehead, it was her way of reminding him that to her, he was Will, employed or not, he was all she wanted.

"Hi." He smiled back.

"Would you please make love to me? What you just did was amazing and all but..."

"You want more..."

"I just want you. With me. Now and forever." She was very assertive and her reply came very fast, Rachel knew what he had implied by "more".

"Sweetheart..." He kissed her before saying anything else. In truth, he didn't know what to tell her. In spite of what Rachel was saying, he wanted to give her the world. He knew she would be successful and he wanted her to be proud of him, but at the moment the facts were showing he couldn't even be a teacher anymore. Will wanted to promise her that things would be fine, that they would remain stronger and that he would rise from the ashes. Only he couldn't.

"If you don't believe in you, I will do it for the both of us until you can." Rachel said wrapping her arms around his neck. She could read Will like a book, therefore she had caught the conflict playing in his eyes. Soon enough they were hugging in silence, both sighing.

The road had just became rocky, only three days before his parents' visit...


	21. Chapter 21

**A.N.: I'm so so sorry for the delay! Life has been complicated lately! I want to thank everyone who has been reading, adding the story to their alerts and specially those who have taken the time to write a review, your words do light up my day! That being said, Enjoy chapter 21!**

"**Bricks"**

**Chapter XXI**

The alarm went off at the usual time. Moving carefully Will turned the device off and sighed. He didn't have a job to go to and he had no idea what to do with his day since he only had a couple of auditions scheduled in the afternoon. To him, losing his job felt more painful that morning than it had the day before. It was REAL now.

He was trying not to let desperation sweep him over, nonetheless his situation was delicate. He had been fired after less than a semester on the job, he wasn't as into teaching as he used to be, and his phone wasn't exactly ringing off the hook for call backs. Not to mention his savings account wasn't going to last forever. Then there was something else, the discussion he hadn't had with Rachel. He could see it coming. She would want to hear about his plan now that things had changed. She would certainly ask him if he would apply for a new job, if he would consider teaching at all, and she would DEFINITELY ask him WHY he didn't have a back up plan. He rubbed his forehead in frustration thinking she would probably wait for a few days before getting into that, but his parents wouldn't, therefore he needed answers and he needed them soon. The last thing Will wanted was to sound insecure in front of his family. And especially in front of Rachel.

Will stared at the ceiling knowing he was having a scary moment of clarity: once again he needed purpose in his life. Sure Rachel was great and love was grand but he was a grown up and not the most optimistic one, therefore he knew he needed more, and he was aware there would come a point where Rachel would expect more from him as well. The aftermath to his unemployment would soon catch up with them and he was deciding to delay that process. The question was how and it was followed by a huge "Why now that I'm this happy?".

The universe had conspired against him. This was his life going in circular motion once again, Will thought. When his marriage had started to sink, he had sought refuge in Glee, and now he was out of a job, he was finding his relationship with Rachel to be his only shelter. So yes, circular motion in reverse.

"What are you thinking about?" Rachel said in a groggy voice causing him to look at her.

"You." Will smiled widely, effectively hiding his concerns from Rachel, who was now grinning at his reply. She might have caught him off guard with that question, and she had surprised him just by being awake without him noticing, but Will still knew the best way to distract Rachel was to make her the subject of discussion.

"You are such a charmer, Will Schuester." Rachel kissed his cheek and sat up. "That is why I'm rewarding you by letting you take me out for breakfast." She nodded and flashed him her signature mega-watt smile causing Will to laugh at her statement.

"Sounds good." Will sat up as well. "Maybe we can get breakfast to go and I can walk you to your Campus?"

"I'd love that." She jumped out of bed and walked to the bathroom, happy that Will's plans involved her instead of a bag of chips and a whole lot of wallowing in bed.

"Then we have a plan." He followed her and hugged her from behind in front of the mirror.

"We do." Rachel turned to him and kissed him quickly on the lips. "Are you okay, Will? I mean I know you were thinking about me because you were grinning but I did see you frown too..."

"Yes, Rach, I'm fine." Will stroked her hair and sighed, he loved how well she could read him; he was amazed about that, glad even, but that also presented a problem: he would never be able to buy as much time as he needed to before letting her know how frustrated he was feeling.

"Are you sure? There is no shame in admitting..." She scanned his eyes while looking for the perfect term, Rachel didn't want Will to be in denial but she was also worried about pushing him to face reality. She had never dealt with anything like this before and was trying to hide the fact she was scared as well. She wanted to be a good support system for Will, but she couldn't be if she was uncertain as of how he was really feeling.

"Sweetheart, I'm just adjusting but I'm fine, I promise, you don't have to worry, let's just get changed so we can enjoy our morning." He cut her off again. If there was something he wasn't looking forward to was telling his overachiever girlfriend that he felt lost.

"Okay. And just for the record, I think it's very romantic that you are walking me to school, Mr. Schuester." Rachel winked at him.

"That was the plan." Will laughed. He knew she was enjoying calling him that, and truth be told he liked how that name sounded on her lips. Even if he wasn't a teacher any more, even if he wasn't HER teacher, that was what he was to her at first, and now that they were a couple, the memory or their former relationship had acquired a new and sweeter meaning.

"It's a lovely plan." She nodded untangling herself from his arms in order to turn the shower on. When she looked back at him, Will was taking his razor from one of the shelves. She immediately neared him. "Don't shave today." She took the item from his hand and placed it by the sink while he looked at her every motion with quizzical eyes.

"That's a strange request." He stated, clueless as to what she was up to now.

"It wasn't a request." Rachel giggled while resting her head on his shoulder, locking eyes with him in the mirror.

"Alright, then it's a strange demand. Can I ask why I shouldn't shave?" He inspected their reflection carefully. They really did look good together. They really did look like an in love couple having a very strange conversation in the bathroom.

"I for one think you would look rather handsome, besides, you don't have to..." She shrugged. Will blinked twice at her words. He had looked for his razor automatically; it was part of his morning routine, but there she was telling him to embrace the change, and letting him know he was appealing to her. He half-smiled; Rachel was indeed helping him see the upside of things, even in the smallest of forms.

"You are adorable." Was all he could say. Will was able to see through Rachel and he wasn't oblivious as to how much she was trying to make him NOT look like a teacher.

"I know." Rachel kissed his shoulder. "Now leave so I can shower." She giggled.

Will finished showering and went to his bedroom to look for some clothes to wear. To his surprise, Rachel was standing in front of his closet, still enveloped by her towel searching for an outfit, while a pair of his jeans and a simple grey, v-neck t-shirt were on his bed. The former teacher grinned at the scenario and walked to her. Rachel was obviously taking care of him in a way, and to Will, that was sweet but at the same time, she was, again, taking over his life.

"You know, sweetheart, I am dealing with unemployment but I can still choose what to wear..." He stood by her side.

"Oh, I know, I was merely suggesting you'd try that on, but feel free to pick something else." She turned to him and smiled warmly.

"It's fine, I like what you came with, but you don't have to do anything for me, Rach. I know you are worried, and that you are trying to make things easier for me, but I'm okay." He scanned her eyes hoping she wouldn't be offended.

"Good, now help me pick what to wear, please." She said looking back at the few items of hers hanging in his closet.

"What about this?" He took a hanger with a yellow dress.

"Could work ... and it's either that or the pink one but that one has a deep cleavage." Rachel took the yellow dress from him. "I believe I need to bring more clothes here, I mean, you keep tearing them apart..." Rachel shook her head smiling.

"Bring anything you want, Rach." Will matched her smile.

"Does that mean ripping my clothes off my body is going to be a recurring scenario?" She opened his drawers searching for underwear.

"I don't know, is it?" He let out a laugh.

"Are you suggesting I am to blame for your alpha male tendencies?" She grabbed a matching set of white underwear and closed the drawer. "Because it's not my own fault you ripped my panties yesterday..."

"You seduced me..." Will shrugged.

"Right, but you are impatient, so you owe me some underwear, mister!" Rachel closed the closet and sat on his bed, never breaking eye contact.

"Do I get to pick?" He sat next to her, suddenly liking the idea but ultimately thinking that spending money wasn't exactly the best of plans at the time being.

"I trust your good taste if that is what you are asking." Rachel winked at Will causing him to laugh, so far their morning had been pretty great, and he knew that had been her plan all along.

"Then maybe we can go shopping tomorrow." Will leaned and kissed her forehead.

"That would be lovely, but now we need to hurry." She giggled and started to get dressed.

Twenty minutes later they were walking hand in hand, carrying two big cups of coffee. Both were smiling at what they couldn't say: they were definitely taking advantage of a bad situation so far. They both knew the other shoe was going to drop at some point, but at the moment they were happy to ignore that fact and just walk together.

When they finally made it to Rachel's College, she still had fifteen more minutes before her first class started. Normally, she would be in her classroom exactly twenty five minutes ahead. She just liked sitting up front and enjoyed the feeling of the room slowly becoming crowded. It was her ritual, but that particular day, the ritual had shortened already. She turned to Will when they were facing the entrance and waited for him to wish her a great day, only that never happened. He just squeezed her hand unable to let her go. Silently begging for a few more minutes together. They had been in that scenario many times before, and it had always been different, first that bus heading to Regionals, then the airport, now this... big small moments that had showcased the numerous ways they had needed one another. All of them bitter-sweet and filled with heavy doses of longing and nostalgia.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Rachel smiled trying to soften and delay the fact that she would eventually let Will's hand go in order to go to class. "What do you say if we find ourselves a bench and enjoy each other's company until I have to go?" She suggested.

"That's a rhetorical question, Rach." Will smiled back, relieved she wasn't leaving just yet. He felt dumb, and lost again. He had been on his own countless times before, not wanting her to leave was borderline ridiculous, but he still wasn't ready to walk the streets alone without a purpose, so he would take whatever she could give him.

"I had a suspicion it was. You will miss me, huh?" She swung their joined hands playfully while they made their way to the nearest free bench. "You better say yes to that."

"Yes to that." Will laughed. He knew if he told her how much he would miss her, she would probably forget about classes; she wasn't interested in going anyway. He made the same mental note to address that subject soon. There was always something preventing them from talking about how discouraged she was about her education.

"Well, you should miss me, but I'm guessing you will be busy making all those reservations for this weekend, right?" She sat on the bench raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I got it. My parents will love everything we planned." Will sat next to her never letting go of her hand. He was paying attention to their surroundings and all those college students. That place was filled with potential, with people with dreams... and he was just an intruder, sitting there with his much younger soulmate. All of the sudden, every single one of his years weighed on him.

"It has to be perfect. We will never have another chance to make a first impression as a couple. Are you as nervous as I am, Will?" Rachel tilted her head. She could sense Will's mind was some place else, and she wanted him to focus on her. "Will?" She placed her free hand on his knee and squeezed It gently. He immediately looked into her eyes. "Hey there." Rachel smiled victoriously. "Where did you go?"

"Um, nowhere." Was all he could say. And it was true, Will was feeling he was going nowhere.

"I do not believe you." Rachel pursed her lips. "You look overwhelmed, Will." She sighed, hearing the proverbial other shoe dropping.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling guilty for drifting away the way he had. Yet he was apologizing for more than that.

"No, I am. I'm trying too hard." She looked down at her feet. "You are entitled to be overwhelmed; I just... love you too much to see you so sad." She looked up and back at him. "You don't deserve this."

"Rach, you are being wonderful." He stroked her cheek tenderly.

"Are you sure? I don't want to fail at being the perfect better half but I feel I am right now, and I hate thinking that because I should be concentrating solely on you... so now I feel like an awful person and you don't deserve that either, and on top of it all I'm still pissed at Shelby! And now I'm rambling. Great, just great, ugh!" She huffed feeling desperate. Her lack of experience in adult relationships was finally catching up with Rachel and it wasn't pretty.

"Aw, honey..." Will wrapped his arm around her shoulders and let out a laugh. "That's fine, we are not at our best today, that's it." He kissed the top of her head. "And I love it when you ramble. It's adorable."

"You are weird, Will. By all means, how can anyone be adorable by rambling?" Rachel joined his laughter.

"Not anyone, you." Will hugged her strongly, laughing even harder at what she had just said.

"Okay, fair enough." She nodded, happy with his answer. "And I'm going to kiss you now, so beware." Rachel smiled devilishly before crashing her lips to his. Their kiss began being hungry and needy, it was their sweet way to vent out, but then it became slower, and gentle. According to Rachel, that was a "healing kiss" yet she was aware that kissing him and choosing his outfits would only help for a limited period of time. Will needed something she couldn't give him and that scared her.

"You are going out of your way to make me miss you, Rach." Will whispered when the kiss ended.

"Most certainly." She giggled, as they both reluctantly stood up. "Are you going to be okay without me, Will?" Her voice was soft, yet playful enough to hide her real question.

"I have no option but to try to, Rach." He smiled holding in a sigh while they walked towards the entrance for the second time.

"Okay, well, have a nice day, Will. I love you." Rachel stood on the tip of her toes and kissed him quickly, still not releasing his hand. She needed him to be the one to take that step and let go of her.

"I love you too." He lifted her hand and kissed it before releasing it. Then they both sighed and parted ways.

Rachel walked slowly away from him trying her best not to turn back; it was killing her to leave Will there and she could feel his eyes on her. As the gentleman he was, Will wouldn't start walking until he'd make sure she was inside, but the reality was she didn't want to be anywhere but with him even though she had no clue where he would be that day. The petite brunette took deep breaths and made it inside unsure if she was where she should be.

Meanwhile, Will was staring at the entrance. He looked like a lost puppy waiting for his loving owner to hold him. He didn't know where to go next now he had dropped Rachel, and if he hadn't known better, he would have waited on the bench where they just had been sitting until she was finished with classes. He opted against it because he didn't want to look like a stalker or make her think he had wasted hours doing nothing at all. Instead, he wandered without a clear route in mind; however, life has a sneaky way of being ironic and he ended up in Victoria's Secret, surrounded by woman that were giving him advice on to what to buy.

Will soon realized that this wasn't the time to be making choices. Just a day ago he was torn between an 80's and a 90's pop song when he was coming with a list of songs for his students to perform and now he had to make up his mind about lingerie... Once again he felt the situation was out of his hands, and yes, he needed help but Rachel wasn't there and all those employees looked quite threatening making their pitches as to why a particular garment was better than the other. He politely told all of them he needed to take a few moments and walked away from them and to the area where the perfumes were. The former teacher took a deep breath and acknowledged he only had two options: either to go back to his apartment empty handed or to call someone. It was a bad idea but it was his ONLY idea, so he dialed.

"Schuester!" Santana jumped on her bed.

"Hello Santana, how are you?" Will tried to breathe, he wasn't as good as Rachel was at dealing with the Latina.

"Peachy. But the real question is why are you calling me... You never called me when I was your student but this is the second time you have since Sherry happened... so what is it this time?" Santana was smart and absolutely sure that wasn't a social call; however, she enjoyed talking to Will.

"I know, and I need your help with something. I'm at Victoria's Secret trying to buy something for Rach and I don't know where to start looking. You think you can help me through this?" Will tried to sound flattering.

"Sure, I love this, but you are not fooling me here, Schuester. You are not the kind of person that buys lingerie to say I love you, so what's up?" She smiled in anticipating he would choke before actually giving her an honest answer. Truth be told, the whole situation was alluring to her, her former vocal coach buying underwear for her best friend, that was a story for the books. Santana was so excited that she didn't even realize that he should have been at work.

"Rachel needs it." Will answered proud as to how he had avoided choking. He knew beforehand that Santana would try to make him nervous, that was just the way she operated yet he would never be completely comfortable with it.

"Oh, really? Why?" The Latina twirled a strand of her hair. He would have to do better than that before she would start to guide him.

"What do you mean? It's underwear!" Will rubbed his forehead, her question was a tricky one.

"Finn, come here. This is hilarious!" Santana yelled two seconds before pressing the speaker button.

"No no no no, Santana, please..." Will begged a little too late.

"What's up Mr. Schue?" Finn suddenly said, sitting next to his girlfriend, who was grinning devilishly.

"Hey Finn..." Will shook his head; the damage was already done. Now he would be talking about underwear for Rachel in front of two ex-students.

"He's buying underwear for Berry!" Santana informed Finn.

"Ew!" Finn reacted without thinking. Santana slapped his arm. "I mean, cool. But why?" The tall boy shrugged at his girlfriend.

"I don't understand why you ask why." Will's tone was of annoyance now. He wanted help, not to be made fun of.

"What are your intentions?" Santana clarified starting to laugh.

"Well... to keep her warm?" Will did a face-palm, he couldn't believe he had actually tried saying that, and to Santana Lopez, no less. After all, he was an adult; why was he so embarrassed?

"I swear I can hear you sweating right now, Schuester." Santana smiled while Finn nodded.

"You could buy her a coat..." Finn interjected only to be slapped again in the arm. "Just saying... oh, I get it, it's funny. Keep her warm, hehe." He and Santana exchanged a look.

"I don't mean to be rude, but are you going to help me or not?" Will was feeling frustrated.

"Easy Tiger!" Santana laughed.

"I thought I was Tiger!" Finn complained.

"No, you are a lion, Finn; focus!" The Latina kept laughing, the situation couldn't be more entertaining to her.

"A lion, I like that." Finn nodded smiling, while on the other end, Will was rolling his eyes. Not only he was an unemployed man in his mid thirties, he was asking for advice to a sex-crazed couple.

"You guys could you please help me out here?" Will said giving them the last chance to focus on him.

"Yes, but I have a question, haven't you seen her in her underwear enough to know what she likes?" Santana made a point.

"Well..." Will mumbled a "what the hell". "Yes."

"Then what is your problem?" Without noticing, Rachel's BFF was trying to point out that Will was actually capable of making that choice on his own.

"There are too many options and I don't want her to get the wrong message." Will explained. "I figured a female point of view would be helpful."

"You are cute, Schue, but there is no wrong message when you give a girl underwear, unless you get her granny pants..." Santana said matter-of-factly.

"Gross." Finn added, grimacing.

"I just want to do something nice for her." Will shrugged.

"I bet!" Finn said causing her girlfriend and himself to laugh again.

"No, not that! I mean, get something she likes." Will said firmly.

"Not that, right... okay..." Santana rolled her eyes.

"I'm telling you the truth, she said she needed new underwear." Will stated.

"Wait, Rachel Berry is running low on underwear? What did you do?" The smart Latina narrowed her eyes; she could start to sense there was something good she didn't know about. And by definition, to her "good" meant "dirty".

"Nothing!" Will said in frustration.

"Even I know you are lying, Mr. Schue." Finn nodded.

"Can we please stay on topic?" Will pleaded once again.

"Okay, something nice for her. Pink, sort of lace-y should do." Santana finally gave in noticing her ex-teacher was about to hang up on them.

"Couldn't you have said that five minutes ago?" Will asked her as a way to call her out.

"Damn right I could, but it wouldn't have been as fun!" Santana replied honestly. After all, all parties have gotten what they wanted.

"We are helping Mr. Schue get lucky, whoa..." Finn nodded, still amazed.

"No! Rach and I don't need... never mind, thanks for your help, guys." Will sighed. He knew how to pick his battles and he wasn't going to give them too much information about him and Rachel.

"Byyyyee" Both members of "Fanta" said.

"Bye guys, thanks." Will breathed in and out in relief starting to look for the color pink.

"You are mean." Finn stated staring at Santana.

"Mean? I just helped the guy get some action with Berry, my best friend. I'm a saint!" She beamed at him.

"Okay..." Finn lifted his arms in mock surrender, causing her to shake her head and smile.

"You need to buy me underwear some time, Finn." She tilted her head.

"Sure, but could you come with me?" He simply asked.

"That's my guy! High five!" She said ecstatic before they contently performed their high five.

Will had successfully picked a few items for Rachel, but that task consumed more time that he had originally anticipated, therefore he carried a huge Victoria's Secret bag to his auditions. He was aware at how he must have looked, yet his mind was so set on getting a call back that he couldn't afford to care. Being unemployed was a big enough burden.

Meanwhile, Rachel's last class had finished and she was on her way to her own auditions. She thought about checking on Will but then she figured she shouldn't be overwhelming him. He would have let her know if he needed anything. Happy her boring school activities were over she started walking to her next destination silently praying the big break she needed was close. Her phone ringing interrupted her thoughts. She answered quickly, glad her best friend was calling her; she would finally be able to talk to someone about Will.

"Hey B! So what's the deal with The Schuester and underwear?" Santana said with no preamble.

"What?" Rachel reacted taken completely off guard.

"He called me earlier; he was buying you some. It was priceless fun. Next time let him take you shopping and give him a private runway show, got it?" The Latina smiled. Giving her best friend advice, whether or not it was wanted, that made her feel powerful.

"He called you? Oh, Will..." Rachel smiled imagining how hard he was trying to do something nice for her even at the worst of times. "How did he sound to you, San?"

"Like he was lost in a sea of scary underwear, why?" Santana was now sensing she had missed something before.

"He... he lost his job; it's a long story but Shelby was behind it. I'm so worried, San... what if he resents me?" Rachel explained as guilt built in again inside her.

"You crazy, B? He just got fired and he was buying you underwear! He doesn't resent you AT ALL. In fact, he deserves one of your freakin gold stars!" Santana shook her head.

"Good point. So he wasn't sad when he called you?" Rachel widened her eyes. Maybe keeping him distracted was a good way to prevent Will from getting depressed.

"I couldn't tell, Finn and I tortured him a little, but only because we didn't know." Santana explained feeling guilty herself.

"My poor, dearest Will." Rachel sighed.

"Hey, how were we supposed to know?" Her BFF tried to defend Fanta. "You sound very worried, Rach, how can I help?"

"I don't know, San, I just want him to be okay and I know he's not even though he tries... to make matters worse, his parents are coming over this weekend." Rachel was actually glad her friend had called her. This was the first person she had confessed to how concerned she was.

"And what are you going to do?" Santana was almost at a loss of words; she was, too, inexperienced when it came to mature relationships.

"I don't know to be honest. And I've been contemplating calling his mother, maybe she knows what to do..." Rachel didn't say it but she was starting to show how she felt resourceless.

"Berry! Don't! You know what to do!" Santana yelled.

"I don't, San. I really don't and I can't risk it." Rachel sighed again.

"Just do him until he's blue, make yourself his job." Santana half joked.

"As conflicted as I am to be telling you this, I tried that yesterday, but I don't think it's healthy or that it will work in the long run." Rachel admitted whispering.

"You tried! That's my girl!" The Latina laughed. She was proud of Rachel but she also knew her friend was right.

"San, this is serious..."

"Sorry about that, but... don't talk to his mother." Santana said in a more comforting tone. This was probably the first time she didn't know what to do to help Rachel.

"What if I only do so but in order to make sure we really get along? The last thing Will needs right now is for their parents not to like me..." Rachel offered an alternative.

"That makes sense, go for it." Santana encouraged her.

"I think I will, so how are you doing?" Rachel smiled, feeling a bit more certain about her idea.

"I'm great, Finn told me he loves me while watching The Fast and the Furious and I said it back during Rocky III." Santana proudly informed.

"That... sounds unique. Are you happy?" Rachel relaxed slightly. If Finn and Santana could make a good couple, then Will and her could really power through everything.

"I will murder you if you say this to anyone but yes." Santana admitted.

"Aw, I'm so glad to hear that, San!" Rachel smiled widely.

"Okay, now forget I told you that." The Latina demanded. It was ironic how candid she was about everything except for her feelings.

"Done." Rachel nodded, still smiling.

"Good girl! Anyway, we are about to watch Rambo, B, Finn is coming with popcorn. Text me if you need anything and enjoy your new underwear but next time you are definitely telling me what he does with it."

"San!" Rachel blushed.

"What? Finn and I made a bet! I said The Schuester rips them off, he says he likes to wear lingerie." Santana raised an eyebrow.

"What? Why would Finn think such a thing in the first place? I can assure you Will does not wear my underwear!" Rachel was now outraged.

"He saw a Friends episode that gave him that idea." Santana explained. "So did I just make twenty easy bucks?" Santana chuckled.

"Yes, you did..." Rachel gave in, quietly admitting what had happened to her underwear.

"Yay! And that is hot by the way, but Finn's here! Bye, B." Santana laughed and hang up.

"Bye, San..." Rachel shook her head and continued walking.

Will entered Rachel's apartment excited in advance. He couldn't wait to see her reaction to his present.

"He does have a sweet tooth." Rachel giggled. "In fact I might bake something for him later." He heard her say to someone. Will could see she was sitting on her couch, unaware of his presence.

"Honey, I'm home!" He said locking the door.

"Yay!" She clapped her hands in excitement while he neared the couch.

"I brought something for you..." He leaned down and kissed her neck but was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Just then he noticed that his assumption that she was talking on speaker had been wrong: Rachel was video-chatting, "Oh, sorry to interrupt." He looked at the computer screen and his jaw dropped when he saw his own mother waving vigorously at him. "Hi mom..." Will did a mental double take and then turned to Rachel, who was biting her lip and acting innocent.

"Hi sunshine!" Mrs. Schuester greeted him smiling impossibly wide.

"So this is new..." Will raised an eyebrow at Rachel. His eyes were showing a thousand questions. The brunette patted the couch so he would sit beside her, he complied quickly and left the bag on the floor, which his mother noticed.

"It is, Martha and I were discussing the menu for the weekend. How was your day?" Rachel rested her hand on his knee and he covered it with his own hand. None of them realizing how organic their actions had been.

"You two look so cute together!" Will's mother pointed out after witnessing how loving Will and Rachel were.

"Thanks Mrs... Martha." Rachel smiled proudly while Will still couldn't believe what was going on.

"You are welcome, Rachel. What's in that bag, Honeybee? I want to see!" Martha Schuester suddenly surprised Will.

"It's nothing, mom." He said trying to sound nonchalantly.

"It's nothing from Victoria's Secret! I want to see!" Martha demanded as Rachel shrugged at Will.

"Mom, I appreciate you being so open minded but I wouldn't be comfortable letting you see this." Will firmly voiced while Rachel couldn't keep her eyes off him. He was an only child saying no to his mother, and she found that attractive, besides, that meant the only woman he didn't say no to was her.

"It's baby-making-related?" Will's very nosy mom asked, making Rachel blush.

"Mom!" Will shook his head while hugging Rachel, who automatically buried her face in his chest.

"Never mind. I'll let you two alone. Nice talking to you, sugarplum." Martha said smiling at the scene on her computer screen.

"Bye!" Will and Rachel replied at the unison.

"Aw, that was so cute!" Martha said before Will closed Rachel's laptop.

"She calls you that as well?" Rachel giggled.

"I should be asking you that." Will smiled. "Since when do you video-chat with my mom and why didn't I know about it?"

"Because this was our first time ever, are you jealous? And if so, of whom?" She narrowed her eyes in a mock threat.

"I don't like to share you, you know that." He placed his hands on her hips and easily sat her on his lap.

"Indeed." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pecked his lips. "But to be fair, you weren't sharing me since you were not here, and now you are you have my undivided attention." Rachel nodded.

"I missed you, Rach." He pulled her closer. "So, so much."

"So can I see what you got for me now? I can't believe you went to audition carrying that pink bag..." Rachel laughed. Yet she was flattered.

"I made an impression with it, I'm sure." He expressed, convinced he had. "You don't know what it is?"

"Yes, of course I do, I know you can take a hint, especially when I'm not subtle. Besides, San called me asking me what you did to my underwear..." Rachel bit her lip.

"I should have known she was going to call you right away." Will couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yes, but that's beside the point, Will, I'm not exactly known for my patience..." Rachel raised an eyebrow, she was really curious about the contents of that bag. No one had ever bought underwear for her.

"I hope you like it." Will reached for the bag and handed it to her, who temporarily took her arms off him.

"You were brave to buy this for me by yourself, Will, not to mention you called San and Finn..." Rachel commented before opening the bag.

"I wasn't planning on talking to Finn to be honest."

"But you could have guessed they were together; they seem to be inseparable... they are in love, it's so endearing and bizarre at the same time..."

"Tell me about it." Will rolled his eyes while she took a quick peek and looked up and into his eyes smiling brightly. "I know that look, Rach, what are you up to now?"

"I was just thinking about something..." She shrugged.

"Something good?" Will knew it had to be, he really knew that look. She just smiled and kissed him. "I'm taking that as a yes, but you are not going to tell me?"

"Hmmm, let me think about it. At the time being all I can tell you is that I like what I see. Enormously." She placed the bag next to them on the couch and snuggled into him.

"Rach..." He laughed. "Do I have to tickle you?"

"No!" She was able to reply seconds before he started ticking her ribcage. "Will!"

"I really did miss you." He rested his hands on her back before Rachel would slap them away to prevent him from ticking her more.

"Me too, and just for the record, your mom is lovely. You should have seen your face when you saw it was her who was video-chatting with me." Rachel giggled. "You were the handsomest deer caught in the headlights." She stroked his cheek, smiling.

"You caught me off guard, but it's nice you two are getting along already." Will nodded.

"It's certainly refreshing and makes me all the more excited about this weekend." Rachel admitted.

"Yes, but I confess this of all weekends was the one I wanted it to be just about us." He rubbed circles on her back.

"Aw... I know, however it's all about us right now, Will. And it's all about us every day actually." She grinned, trying to reassure him. That visit was ill-timed yet she was sure they would make the best out of it.

"True. Even with all that's happened, life is good." He smiled genuinely at her. However, Rachel could see some traces of pain in his eyes.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that." She hugged him strongly.

"And you have no idea how happy you make me." Will kissed her head. They were both scared about the future and she was showing him how willing she was to make things better for the both of them.She had taken care of every single detail in order for him to feel cared for. Picking his clothes, giving him those fifteen minutes in that bench, talking to his mother... she was a dedicate soulmate.

"I think I do though." She smiled smugly. After all she wasn't doing a bad job helping him go through a difficult time; in fact, she was surprised she hadn't smothered him with her own concerns.

"Now will you tell me what you were thinking about earlier?" Will brought the subject back.

"No, let's just stay like this." She planted a kiss on his chest.

"No argument here." He kept his embrace around her tight smiling at how sweet she was even at denying him things.

They were cuddling on the couch and half way through Phantom of the Opera when Rachel wouldn't shut up about how badly cast Emmy Rossum was. Will, of course listened to everything she had to say until it became too much, so he kissed her in order to shut her up. Rachel broke the kiss just as it was becoming more steamy.

"Hold that thought." She pulled away.

"Huh? What's wrong, Rach?" He brushed her hair out of her face.

"Absolutely nothing, quite the opposite." Rachel picked the bag and winked at him. "Just wait here."

"Don't go..." He took the bag from her hand and pleaded with his eyes.

"You don't want to see how I look in it?"

"Yes but... it doesn't have to be right now, we are doing just fine." He kissed her neck tenderly.

"One can argue we could still benefit from..." He interrupted her by kissing her lips again. "Will..."

"Some other day. You don't need to do anything to be appealing to me, Rach. Besides, this dress is sexy. It reminds me of the yellow one you wore for the first mash up."

"Really? And you still remember that dress, huh?" Rachel asked filled with curiosity.

"That was a great performance." Will nodded.

"But you brought up the dress in the middle of a very interesting scenario..."

"Yes, what are you getting at?" Will chuckled.

"You know what I'm getting at." She nodded smiling.

"Well, if you are thinking what I think, it's not that. Do you remember what you did that day?" Will rubbed her forearm knowing he had her attention.

"Yes, I along with everyone else in Glee club, took performance enhancement drugs, which I regret." Rachel sighed.

"Do you remember what you did right after performing?"

"Yes, I sat and watched they boys' mashup, which I must say, wasn't as entertaining as ours." Rachel nodded still not understanding what that had to do with anything.

"Before that, you hugged me ." Will smiled.

"Oh, yes, that! I hugged you numerous times while you were my teacher, Will. Why is that occasion so memorable?"

"That was the first time you hugged me." He looked into her eyes; the memory was one he had treasured for a long time.

"You are right!" She opened her eyes wide. "And you still remember that first hug ever after all the things we have done?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Well, it was a nice hug." He laughed, then kissed her neck causing her to giggle.

"You are not going to let me change, aren't you?"

"No."

"Fine, you win." She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his lips soundly. "You do realize your mom probably figured out you have a key to my apartment, right?"

"Honey, two things: a: my parents already know you kindly offered to let me sleep here so they can stay at my place, a key is not a big deal, and b: don't mention my mom while we intend to fool around."

"Okay, I was just saying... and... We are fooling around?" Rachel giggled.

"You haven't noticed, sweetheart?" He laughed, pulling her closer to him.

"Yes, what I meant was how long did you talk to San? You are talking just like her."

"For a while" He sighed remembering how crazy that conversation had turned out to be."Is there anything else I need to know about this weekend?"

"No, except for the fact that I may or may not be wearing your gift on said weekend." Rachel winked at him.

"I'm looking forward to that." He laughed shaking his head.

"Good. So let's continue fooling around, shall we?." She laughed with him, before taking Will's shirt off.

The road ahead wasn't going to be easy, both Will and Rachel were trying to eclipse all the bad with their bubble, yet questions were still unanswered and the future was as unknown as it could be.

They knew their spell would only last for so long.


	22. Chapter 22

"**Bricks"**

**Chapter XXII**

Day number two of unemployment was particularly tough on Will. He felt his energy and a big amount of his drive had left his body. He really questioned what to do with so much free time in his hands. When he was starting to make a mental list with viable options, the alarm rang and Rachel woke up. She kissed him just like the previous day and before either of them said a word, they were both smiling to one another and getting ready to leave the apartment together. They loved how easily they were able to reach those unspoken agreements even during difficult moments.

They repeated what they had done the previous morning: had coffee to go and then walked to her school; only this time, they went straight to "their bench". Will was glad they had found themselves this little new ritual but wished it was temporary; he needed to find a place to be. On the other hand, Rachel's level of concern was spiking. She could see his smile wasn't as wide, his eyes weren't shining... he wasn't the same Will he was yesterday and the reason that had happened was that nothing had changed. The brunette knew she could only reassure him for so long, and she was worried she was showing him signs of desperation. If day two looked so grim, week two was going to be devastating.

Rachel started to realize what relationships entailed. Sometimes love is not enough to keep someone happy. Soon she and Will would have to talk and she was very afraid of that conversation; still, she decided she would approach the subject later. Meanwhile, they made small talk for ten minutes, kissed a few times and parted ways sighing. So far the morning had felt off for them both; they were finding it very hard to go on their separate ways for hours but at the same time, what they weren't discussing was in the way when they were together. There was a mix of tension and awkwardness that was getting to them and that freaked them out.

The brunette's attention during classes was limited, she was used to having Will to guide her – that was how it had been for the most important years of her life – and now he was the one who needed direction but she knew she couldn't provide it. She had never been employed, hence, what came along with being fired was unknown to her. The closest she had to a job was college, and she was a bit confused about what to do with it... the awful truth was this time she really couldn't help Will and that was weighing on her. She shook her head unsure if that reaction was to the situation or to her professor announcing the next assignment, which she automatically hated.

Will had no castings scheduled for the day, so he went straight to his apartment, where all he did was sit on his couch and watch videos of his former Glee club's performances on his computer. Those had been great days; tiny moments of glory he had shared with his students. Years where young boys and girls had looked up to him, listened to him, made him proud... for a second he wished could get it all back, but if he had never left Lima, he wouldn't have Rachel. He half-smiled thinking what he once had told Finn: "You can't always get what you want." But even that brief second of clarity faded shortly. If he was feeling so depressed when he had found his soulmate, what could stop Rachel from feeling the same? He got stuck on that question and didn't move from the couch. The videos replayed automatically and the next thing he knew was that Rachel was inside his apartment, taking her shoes off and walking towards him. He paused the video immediately.

She was shaking her head, while he gave her an apologetic look. It was evident that he had done absolutely nothing for hours and the last thing he wanted was Rachel seeing that, but it was too late. She knew. She sat next to him and took a deep breath before saying the four words he was so afraid of:

"We need to talk." She took his laptop off his lap and let it sit open on his coffee table.

"That doesn't sound good." He replied in a quiet voice wishing he hadn't wasted his day doing nothing.

"I know but I feel if I don't say this now I'm going to regret it." Rachel nodded, trying to remain as composed as possibly.

"Then say it." Will encouraged her when in reality all he was thinking was "please don't break up with me"

"How are you really feeling?" She crossed her legs and reached for his hand.

"I'm fine." He squeezed her hand knowing that reply wasn't in the neighborhood of enough.

"No, you are not and I need you to tell me so I can help." Rachel stated firmly.

"This isn't something you can fix, Rach. I need a job." Will hated telling her that there was something she wasn't capable of, then again, he couldn't lie.

"You'll get one." She said quickly, still feeling bad for making him feel guilty about they way he had been coping.

"You don't know that." Will looked down, contradicting Rachel Berry always lead to war.

"And you don't know for a fact that you won't get one." She placed her free hand under his chin forcing him to look into her eyes.

"Yes but... I don't know how to explain what I feel so you can understand." Will admitted.

"Try me." She brushed his cheek with her hand. Asking him to share his pain didn't seem unfair to her, but she also knew what she was asking of him.

"I feel old, Rach." He confessed surprising himself.

"You are kidding me." Rachel hadn't expected that. He shook his head. "You are being serious? Will Schuester, you are not old by any means!"

"But I'm too old to be unemployed and chasing a dream I should have followed ages ago." He tried to explain.

"According to whom?" Rachel narrowed her eyes.

"I don't know." Will shrugged, showing how confused he was.

"Will, there is no wrong time to try to pursue your dreams. I should have said this sooner: I'm proud of you for doing just that, not to mention if you hadn't we wouldn't have crossed paths and well... I don't want to think about that outcome" Rachel squeezed his hand strongly. "Truth be told, somewhere along the way your dreams and mine became 'our dream'."

"You are right, sweetheart, but if I fail now... as you said, it's not just me who will suffer."

"You will not fail and even if things don't go according to plan at least you are trying... that's what you would say to me if I was in your position." Rachel tried to remind him of his own convictions. Those she loved.

"The plan was to have a teaching job while I auditioned, Rach." Will scratched his head. Everything she was saying was accurate, but those words didn't change the fact that he had no plan.

"Okay, so now we regroup and figure this out." Rachel said in a bossy tone. "We should see how much money you have so you can audition full time for a while, and if nothing happens, then you start looking for a teaching job again."

"Why not start now?" His tone reflected so much defeat that Will himself frowned.

"Because you don't want that for yourself any more and you must not force yourself until it's imperative. I can't see you like this, Will. It hurts, but I don't want you to settle for something that is not right at the moment."

"It's not that simple, Rach." He lifted their joined hands and kissed hers.

"Yes it is. Let's say you had gotten an acting job that didn't pay well. What would you have done?" Rachel gave him a serious look.

"Tried to cut some expenses and hope that job would lead to one that paid better." He answered honestly.

"But you would have resigned to the school, correct?" Rachel smiled, she was onto something. Will nodded. "Then there you have it." She laughed.

"But I don't have an acting job..." In spite of his words. Will laughed too, her laughter was contagious.

"You would still have had a financial struggle and you would have opted for that. That's all I'm saying, Will."

"Yes but... I would have been busy, now I'm not." He said in a softer tone.

"Then we'll make you busy." Rachel guaranteed.

"How?" Will chuckled.

"Aside from going to every casting call there is? Well, you can always help me with school, move furniture, learn how to cook vegan food you like... and let's not forget how high maintenance I am..."

"That's not true actually." Will kissed her cheek. "You are not high maintenance."

"Or maybe you can keep up with me... interesting... Okay, so do we have a deal?" She smiled wide. Rachel loved the fact that he could in fact keep up with her and at the same time she acknowledged Will did make her slightly less hyper in general.

"We do." Will matched her smile and pulled her closer.

"Good." She sat on his lap and pecked his lips quickly. "And one more thing, thanks for being open with me."

"Thanks for insisting, honey."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Rachel combed his hair with her hands. "Now do you want to go for a run?" Rachel smiled at the sight of the spark in his eyes coming alive again.

"Aren't you tired? You had such a long day..." Will rubbed circles on Rachel's back feeling it was his turn to do something nice for her after she had lifted his spirits.

"A little, but you were here all day and you need to move... plus, running is free and invigorating." Rachel raised an eyebrow. They were actually adapting. Will kissed her passionately. He was thankful he had Rachel on his side, and he was proud of how she was able to get him and what he was going through.

Going for a run proved to be fun. It was something they had never done together and both enjoyed it tremendously. It wasn't lost on him that she had decided on a fun activity that was completely affordable. Rachel Berry was proving how genuine she had been that time on his rooftop when she had vowed she only wanted him. Ironically, seeing how happy he could make her just by spending time together outdoors, Will wanted to give her all she deserved; he wanted more for himself, yes, but he wanted more to give her.

After running for about two hours Scherry went back to Will's apartment, where she took a shower while Will packed a bag. Then it was his turn to shower and to his surprise when he came out of the bathroom he found Rachel sitting in front of his open closet throwing her own clothes in a pile on the floor. He smiled and approached her.

"What are you doing sweetheart?" Will sat beside her.

"What does it look like? Hiding evidence, of course." She replied barely looking at him, still very focused on her task.

"And by evidence you mean your clothes? Rach, why would it matter that you keep an item or fifteen here?" Will kissed the top of her head, he could see she was stressed.

"I'm not taking chances, Will." Rachel nodded while opening his underwear drawer.

"I say this with all the love in the world: don't be paranoid, Rach." Will massaged her neck. This mattered to her, which to him meant it was his duty to calm her down.

"I am not being paranoid! I am simply not comfortable with them seeing my underwear alongside yours. It feels wrong!" She huffed.

"They have no reason to open my drawers but you can take your underwear home if that puts you at ease." Will gave in.

"That is what I'm doing." Rachel retorted with pride.

"I see, but you are also taking the rest of your clothes; that's not necessary, honey."

"William Schuester! That makes absolutely zero sense!" Rachel narrowed hes eyes at him."If I was to do that then they would think I don't wear underwear!" Rachel explained causing Will to burst into laughter. "It's not funny!" She elbowed him on the ribs.

"Come here." He sat her on his lap. "I promise they will not think anything bad of you but if you really want to take everything back to your apartment even when we recently agreed you needed to have more clothes here, I will help you." She pecked his lips and nodded. "Just don't go crazy on me about this, please." Will smiled again, he really didn't want her to stress but he was loving how much thought Rachel was putting into everything.

"I cannot believe you said that." She slapped him playfully on the chest. "We'll see how you handle it when MY dads visit, Mister!"

"Point taken." Will hugged her and sighed, he really hadn't thought about that. Telling his own family he was unemployed was going to be difficult but he was counting on Rachel to eclipse the bad news with her bigger-than-life attitude and charisma; however, her dads implied a different kind of ball game. He could picture how it all would look like for the Berrys, whose only daughter was in a relationship with her former teacher, who not only was divorced but also unemployed. He knew he didn't look good on paper and once again questioned the idea of letting other people be part of their bubble.

"What is it, Will?" Rachel felt his arms tensing around her.

"Nothing, I just can't believe my parents are visiting tomorrow but I'm not worried; they will love you. In fact, my mother will try to get us to pick a wedding date before the weekend is over." Will laughed hoping Rachel would believe his half truth.

"How would you feel about that?" Suddenly, curiosity sparked inside Rachel.

"About marrying you? Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Will stroked her hair.

"No because you know I will marry you at age twenty-three after I've won a bunch of Tonys. So how would you feel about marrying again?" Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"I never thought I'd love someone else enough to want to get married for the second time."

"Oh." Was all she could say, after all that was a fair answer.

"I do love you more than I've ever loved anyone and I can picture a future with you, Rach." He reassured her, still not fully answering her question.

"Me too, but this... we shouldn't be talking about this. I didn't mean to put you on the spot." Rachel shook her head; she knew it was too soon to be thinking that far ahead.

"It's fine, I brought it up. And I'm happy we talked about it because my mother will ask."

"And we'll deflect." She pecked his lips again. "Now would you be so kind to help me pack? I don't want them to be able to estimate the amount of time I spend here with you, not that there is anything wrong with it but I don't know... I might be going crazy on you after all."

"Sure." Will laughed again. "We can un-Rachel Berry this place."

Hours later, Will's apartment looked like she had never been there, which felt strange to both of them. It was astonishing how different everything looked now. None of them said what they were thinking but in a weird way they were in fact sort of living together. Instead of making any remark that would lead to a complicated talk, they opted to head to Rachel's place and have a quiet dinner.

They couldn't sleep. Her anxiety was making her toss and turn constantly and her continual shifting was making it impossible for Will to be able to rest, not to mention that every time Rachel turned to one side or the other she would pull his arm so he would cuddle with her. Will loved how much she wanted them to be as close as possible and he thought it was endearing that she was showing signs of performance anxiety because of his parents but at the same time, he just wished she could let him rest.

"Will, do something." Rachel finally said in frustration. "We need to be able to sleep at some point."

"I know, sweetheart." He rubbed circles on her back, certain that if he couldn't soothe her, she would get more hyper.

"Then do something!" Rachel turned her back on him. She was misdirecting her anger and she was aware of it, then again she couldn't help it. Will sighed, laid on his side and hugged her from behind.

"Rach, I'm tired too. What do you want me to do?" He said sweetly in hopes she would calm down. "Do you want me to bring you a glass of milk? I mean soy milk?" He whispered, but she shook her head shooting him down. "I could read to you, sing even, would you like that?"

"As sweet as suggesting that is, that plan would backfire, and I will tell you why. Deciding on a story could take us a while. And if you sing to me I will always want more. I love your voice, which proves to be a problem right now, if you can believe it." Rachel shook her head, everything presented some kind of inconvenience. Will pressed his eyes closed for a brief second, she wasn't meaning to be annoying but her picky side wasn't helping one bit and he wanted and needed to sleep as much as she did.

"Rach..." He wanted to call her out on being difficult but that would had been a critical mistake.

"I'm sorry I'm driving you crazy. This is frustrating." She admitted.

"It's fine. What do you think If we listen to sounds of the nature? Maybe that'll help..." He shrugged.

"To the contrary, I think that would be distracting. It's beyond me how some people sleep listening to that. I mean, sounds of the jungle? They would freak me out; monkeys are scary, and sounds of the ocean would give me nightmares of floods and tsunamis." As soon as she explained why she was against his suggestion Will started to laugh. Only Rachel Berry could say those things and get away with it. "Why are you laughing? Don't be insensitive, Will!"

"Sorry honey but you say the funniest things sometimes and you don't even realize it." He kissed her head. "What about listening to regular music?" Will was already out of ideas.

"That would make me want to sing along and I don't think..."

"Rachel Berry, I'm having sex with you right now." Will cut her off. This time it was him who had an angry tone.

"But endorphins will make it impossible for us to sleep!" Rachel complained yet again.

"Not if we are tired enough." Will rolled them over so she was lying on her back and he was on top of her.

"I don't want us to make love as a gateway to deep sleep... that very concept cheapens our devotion and the way we choose to express it." Rachel sighed.

"Not really, I love you so much that I want you to be rested so I will make love to you." Will grinned.

"That is your pitch? You are amusing, Will." Rachel laughed.

"Honey, you are killing me here." Will pouted.

"That wasn't my intention but you have to admit you saying that was humorous." She added while tracing his jaw with her thumb.

"Maybe a little." Will pecked her lips quickly. "I have an idea, lay on your stomach." Will suggested getting off her. Rachel gave him a quizzical look. "I'm giving you a massage."

"That might actually work." The brunette said before rolling over. Suddenly the mood in the room changed; she stopped being annoying and Will was happy he had came with a good idea.

She loved the feel of his hands on her skin. One touch was enough to both raise goosebumps on her whole body and relax her muscles. Rachel smiled while letting herself get lost in that sensation. That was just how their dynamic worked, they challenged one another a lot, but then they were able to put each other at ease in a matter of seconds.

After a half an hour delicious massage, Will stilled his hands on her lower back and planted a kiss between Rachel's shoulder-blades.

"Do you think you can try to sleep now, beautiful?" He whispered to her ear unsure of the answer he wanted to hear now his hands had been in contact with her skin for a while.

"I do, I'm pleasantly relaxed." She turned to him and laid on her side. "Thanks."

"It was my pleasure." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. Either answer would have made him joyful, he realized.

"I'll make it up to you in the morning." Rachel grinned gingerly before snuggling into him.

"I'm looking forward to it." Will admitted. "Good night, my love."

"Night, Will." Rachel sighed contently before closing her eyes.

Only six hours later Will felt a familiar pair of hands caressing his chest.

"You are awake already?" He asked in a groggy voice without opening his eyes.

"The alarm is set to ring in fifteen minutes, I thought you might appreciate me waking you up like this." Rachel whispered before kissing his cheek.

"I do." Will affirmed still half asleep.

"All the better." She trailed kisses down his neck. "I still owe you from last night's pampering." Her words made Will's eyes open instantly.

"Honey you don't have to... you don't owe me anything." Will said before closing his eyes again. She was now kissing his shoulder while she was pushing his boxers down.

"Shall I stop?" Rachel asked between kisses as she proceeded to wrap her hand around his length.

"Huh?" Will was losing his mind feeling her little, warm hand stroking him gently. She grinned at his attempt to reply. Rachel was sure he would never say no but him being unable to even process her question was empowering. Her grip on him was strong and her rhythm was slow, while her lips were on his. This was her driving him crazy once again only this time it was the kind of crazy he craved, Will thought to himself as he took a more active part in the sensual kiss they were sharing.

She heightened every one of his senses. Her lips tasted delicious, her hair smelled like strawberry as usual, her humming into their kiss was the sexiest sound in the world and her touch should have been illegal. That was what he was thinking as she pleasured him but soon enough he was seeing stars and his body felt boneless. Her name escaped his lips in a whisper and she smiled with a mixture of pride and devotion.

"Teamwork." She sighed.

"I don't want to contradict you right now but that was all you, Rach." Will took her hand and laced their fingers together while Rachel was wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"You gave me a massage so I could sleep. Let's say I gave you one so you would rise and shine. That's teamwork to me." She rested her head on his shoulder.

"You were always my MVP, sweetheart." He kissed the top of her head.

"Correction, I am your ONLY MVP. And that better stay that way."

"You say that like if there was a remote chance I would even look at someone else. I love you." Will's gaze pierced her eyes, he was never going to plant the seed of doubt in her.

"Granted." She pecked his lips quickly. "I was joking, I know you wouldn't do that. I mean, your mom, my dads and San would kill you." She was NOT joking about that.

"Mhm. Speaking of my parents, what do you say if I text them to take a taxi and meet us at my apartment so we can get some more alone time?" Will pressed their bodies closer together.

"I say that is enticing but we mustn't give them the wrong idea. I would hate it beyond measure if they were to think I'm keeping you from them."

"But I would be keeping you from them and all to myself." He slid his hands down her back and squeezed her butt.

"And that would still mean I am a bad influence." She slapped his hands away. "Come on, Will, we need to go." She tried to untangle herself from his arms but he stopped her.

"You say that as if you had never tried to corrupt me." Will shrugged and Rachel shook her head in response. "Can't we stay in bed for five more minutes?"

"No, it's never five minutes with you. We are going to be late." She narrowed her eyes.

"I'll apologize because the traffic was terrible..." Will tightened his grip on her waist and smiled wishing his alibi would convince her.

"Will, this is far too important to mess up just because you can't resist my charms." She stated serious.

"Can we trade breakfast for those five minutes? We'll eat a cereal bar on our way there..." Will kissed her neck.

"Will!" Rachel giggled. He did have a point.

"Be mine for five extra minutes, that's all I'm asking." He planted a kiss on her collar bone.

"I'm always yours, but right now I'm afraid I have to decline your otherwise perfect proposal. Please respect that, Will, this means too much." She rubbed his chest wishing her touch would make up for her negative answer.

"You are right, I'm sorry." He kissed her cheek and took his arms off her. "Besides we need to have some coffee."

"Tons! Six hours of sleep were not enough!" Rachel sat up.

"They are not here and I already want them gone..." Will admitted while staring at her.

"Don't say such a thing, they love you and you can wait." The brunette shook her head.

"I can, but I promise, Rach, tonight I'm making love to you." Will sat up.

"Which I'm sure will be lovely as usual, but right now we have to concentrate on having a wonderful time with your family, so no staring at me like you are a hungry lion. At least until we make it back here." She kissed his nose and jumped out of bed giggling.

"I won't let you down." Will followed her smiling impossibly wide. Their day had a rather great start.

An hour, fifteen minutes, four cups off coffee and a taxi ride later Will and Rachel were at the airport anxiously awaiting his parents. During the five minutes they waited, she asked him if she was wearing the proper outfit at least twenty times. While she wanted to look her best, all Will was thinking about was to steal a few kisses before his parents showed up. Of course the gate opened seconds after she had given in and had agreed to let him kiss her, which automatically canceled the agreement. Rachel pulled Will's hand and headed towards his parents and before he could stop her, she had let go of him and was already hugging both his mother and father.

"Finally! I'm so glad you are here! You have no idea how much I've been waiting for this moment to take place." Rachel said while still hugging the Schuesters.

"Mom, dad, this is Rachel, obviously." Will introduced them almost unable to believe how his tiny soul-mate had practically jumped over his family.

"She's energetic, Will." Mr. Schuester laughed.

"And very strong considering her size." Will's mom added causing Will to smile at the whole situation.

"She is." Will replied staring at the trio's embrace in delight.

"Join the group hug, Will!" Rachel said slightly turning to him.

"Sure." Will conceded laughing harder while doing as he was told.

A few moments later, he broke the embrace and took Rachel's hand in his once again.

"That's some welcome, dear." Sebastian Schuester said looking at Rachel. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last."

"You are Will's parents, you made him, so the least I could do is hug you, he's perfect." Rachel nodded smiling while Will tried to hold his laughter again. She was suddenly hyper again. The caffeine and the excitement were showing.

"Yes he is." Will's mom agreed. "And I like that you are affectionate. My son needs a loving woman by his side." The woman smiled to his son who had a huge grin on his face himself. "Oh Will, honeybee, you are smiling like the Joker! I had forgotten you have teeth!" Will and Rachel exchanged an accomplice look, if only Martha Schuester knew what Rachel had done to make Will so smiley... the former teacher himself suspected Rachel had actually planned on that, and the truth was she had.

"Good oral hygiene is important to him, to us. I've always know he was very invested in that, even as a student I couldn't help to find that interesting. Good oral hygiene shows wonderful self esteem." Rachel said realizing that had been almost the same thing she had thought years ago while they were singing Endless Love. For his part, Will wanted her to stop saying the word "oral" in front of his parents, who were now staring at Scherry with curious eyes.

"How was your flight?" Will felt he had to say something before Rachel continued her rambling.

"We don't know; we slept though it." His mom said quickly.

"That's wonderful!" Rachel interjected. "We are going to have such a great time!"

"For sure." Will's dad replied smiling at Rachel as the four of them walked towards a parked taxi.

"I'm dying to see your home, sugar." Martha Schuester told her son. "She's a firecracker. I love her." She then whispered.

The ride to Will's apartment was filled with laughter and lots of excitement. Will felt like it was Christmas and started to forget about his jobless status. His parents seemed to be enjoying Rachel's company, and she no longer looked stressed. As he held her hand in his and listened carefully to his mom and his better half exchange recipes, while his father took pictures of the city from the window, he couldn't help to think that he liked what was going on. For the first time in years he wasn't compartmentalizing his feelings. His life wasn't just a bunch of fragments and moments, it was the end result and the sum of those who mattered to him sharing special times. He could see it now, a good couple, a real love story doesn't just work in a vacuum, it has to pass the test of reality in order to undeniably be true love. Parents were a part of his and Rachel's reality, their reality...

A.N: I'm so sorry for the delay, and I know I only gave you a glimpse of what's about to come with Scherry and the Schuesters but worry not, the weekend JUST started! I left the chapter there because it was already long...


	23. Chapter 23

**A.N.: Hey everyone! Sorry for the long absence! It really killed me not to be updating as fast as I normally do but life got very complicated and I really want to have something good for you guys to read, so this chapter is a little bit longer than most... I hope you enjoy it! **

**Bricks **

**Chapter XXIII**

Rachel was in awe. She was surrounded by Schuesters and she was loving every second of it. She could easily see that Will's parents had a solid relationship and that they adored their son, which made her think of the family she might had gained the second Will and her gave Scherry a shot. Meeting his parents was adding layers of reality to their relationship and what it conveyed. At the same time, her curiosity had spiked, the brunette now wanted to know everything about those three individuals and their lives together throughout the years. She longed to be privy to their inside jokes and their rituals and start to daydream about being part of them. Never before she had felt such a strong sense of belonging with anyone until Will and her happened and now she was finally meeting his family she was having access to more than she had originally realized. The way she saw it, she had been cast as Will's leading lady, therefore, now her goal was to fit with the whole Schuester family ensemble.

The brunette could see Will had his dad's manners and his mom's crooked smile, while his features where actually a perfect mix of them. She looked at the three carefully and felt her heart warming up when she noticed Will's dimples on Sebastian Schuester. The very idea that cuteness could be hereditary amused her to no end. Resemblance, DNA, all the things she hated to think about because of Shelby were relevant all of a sudden. The man she loved had a family and had had an upbringing that might have been key to the way he was, that meant it was her mission to know everything about it, from the bed time stories he had loved to the last family vacation he had had. Meeting the parents went from a next step in their relationship to a infinite source of information, Rachel thought, joyfully.

Will, on the other hand, couldn't keep his eyes off Rachel. He sensed her wheels turning and if her smile was any indication of anything, she was happy. At the same time, he was marveled at the way she could be so oblivious to what was really going on: his parents were analyzing her, he knew that much, and yet Rachel, his Rachel, wasn't affected, to the contrary, she was making easy conversation, answering and asking questions, and there hadn't been a single awkward moment since his parents had arrived, let alone a silent one. Her musical voice and her infectious laughter were filling his living room joined by his parents' kind comments about her and regarding Will's apartment. So far the weekend was too perfect to be true, Will thought knowing that would come to an end when he came clean about being unemployed. He shook his head and pushed that thought away momentarily when Rachel took his hand over the table just because. Once again she was bringing him to a "better place".

Will sighed contently at the sight of their joined hands. She hadn't reached for him because she needed to, she had done that like it was the most natural act in the world, because it was. The former teacher smiled proudly, she wasn't on edge as he had expected and she hadn't overdone "the girlfriend act" as he had feared. It was stupid to assume that on the fist place and he knew it but there had been a point when he had thought Rachel would try so hard to make a good impression that she would end up impersonating a "Stepford Wife", instead she was acting natural and his parents seemed to appreciate it. Once again he was amazed. She had grown indeed. More than she would ever know. She had transitioned from the girl who wanted to be liked and would push hard to be sympathized with, to this young adult woman who showed her true colors and brightened everyone's face, or at least his and his parent's... Will sighed smiling as the image of her acting outrageously insane by cooking for him and Terri replayed on his head.

"Since you told Martha you enjoy cooking and we know how much Will does, we got you something." Sebastian Schuester said smiling at Rachel, while his wife was opening her luggage. Will heard the tone in his father's voice and blinked twice forgetting the outrageous memory of Rachel going full on stalker on him.

"Gifts!" Rachel beamed, and then proceeded to turn to Will who was sitting next to her by the kitchen table.

"I had no idea about this." Will explained to Rachel and then smiled nervously, hoping said gift wasn't one to be embarrassed about. If all those Christmas presents he had gotten over the years were to mean anything, it was that his parents were clueless as to what to give him, their only son, so what could they have possibly have bought for Rachel? Will didn't get that fear affect him terribly, though. He was sure that even if the gift was a bad one, Rachel's acting skills would save the day.

"This isn't just any gift, we have a matching set." Martha Schuester interjected while handing his son and Rachel a big paper bag. "Matching set" made Will choke inside, that was a concept Rachel would actually suggest for pretty much everything.

"Thanks." Rachel said widening her smile while opening the bag as Will tried to get a peak.

"I hope you like it." Martha Shuester emphasized as she sat again by the table, next to her husband who was quietly watching Will and Rachel taking their gift out of the bag.

"These are awesome! We love them! Thanks so so much Mr. and Mrs. Schuester." Rachel jumped on her seat in excitement at the sight of a striped white and pink apron that had her name and a blue and white one that had Will's. On the other hand, Will was doing a mental face-palm. He had been worried about Rachel's behavior all along when he should have considered his own parents could indeed be the first ones to go overboard.

"You are welcome, but call us by our names, Rachel, we are practically family now." Will's dad stated winking at his wife, who was smiling from ear to ear.

"You got it!." Rachel grinned. She was moved by those words but was trying not to overreact since she could notice Will was getting paler and paler by the second. Right at that second she was glad they had discussed his parents bringing up him marrying her.

"We brought ours with us, would you lovebirds like for us four to cook together?" Martha asked already excited.

"What a magnificent idea! Isn't it, Will?" Rachel clapped her hands and stood up.

"Sounds fun." He laughed and stood up himself. Yes, his own parents had cornered Scherry and his mom probably wanted to test if Rachel was as good as a cook as he had told her, but the former teacher knew at that point he couldn't worry about that, not when he still hadn't mentioned the loss of his job, therefore he was going to go with the flow and hope for the best.

Exactly forty-two minutes later, the Schuesters, Will and Rachel had decided what each would cook and they were almost done with their respective dishes. They were concentrated on their tasks and worked harmoniously.

"Your tomato soup smells delicious, Cheff." Rachel stood on the tip of her toes and rested her chin on Will's shoulder, then winked at him, who for some reason was very turned on by her calling him that and almost drops his spoon as a result.

"Aw." They heard Martha express from the other side of the kitchen, which made everyone in the apartment smile.

"And your fruit salad looks very tempting." Will left the spoon on the sink and turned to face Rachel. "Are you having fun, sweetheart?" He whispered tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, while she wrapped her arms around his waist in order to tighten the knot of his apron.

"They are almost as wonderful as you are." Rachel tied the knot quickly, kissed his cheek and walked past him grinning, leaving Will with the urge to kiss her.

"That's real love right there." Martha Schuester whispered to her husband while he was chopping some carrots.

"This is how I always wanted to see him." Mr. Schuester replied while he stared at his only son lovingly watching Rachel set the table. What Sebasting liked the most about what he was witnessing was that both members of Scherry were smiling to one another, he couldn't remember one single time when he had seen Terri smile at Will when alcohol wasn't involved.

"She's changed our boy, Seb." Martha sighed as the couple nodded simultaneously.

Soon, lunch was ready. The collective work paid off and as a result had left everyone very happy about their accomplishment. Pleasantries were exchanged, aprons were taken off and the two couples relaxed while their conversation flowed easily once again. Rachel and Will were doing a great job at not mentioning his job or anything work-related. Between telling his parents about the city and the Broadway shows they had seen they had been able to keep them distracted enough. However, Will was feeling guilty about the way him and Rachel were hindering the truth. Soon enough, he couldn't take it.

"Who wants coffee?" Will asked just as everyone finished eating. Rachel stared at him curiously, she sensed something was off all of the sudden.

"We do, honey." Martha Schuester grinned.

"Good, so do we." Will smiled at Rachel, who smiled back still unsure of what was up but liking how she was feeling like they were just part of a double date.

"I will help you." Rachel stood up nodding and before anyone could say a word headed to the kitchen with half of the dishes.

"Thanks, Rach." Will replied following her with the rest of the plates, as his parents couldn't stop smiling at the domestic bliss they were witnessing.

"Coffee, huh?" Rachel raised an eyebrow when they were alone in his kitchen.

"I needed an alibi." Will took the plates from her and left them in the sink along with the ones he was holding.

"I figured, but what for?" She suddenly widened her eyes and lowered her voice. "We are not making out in your kitchen even if we are not within earshot and eyesight, Will." Rachel narrowed her eyes.

"You assuming that reflects your thoughts more than it does mine, Rach." Will laughed. "Besides, I know you are just teasing me so we are always seen smiling to each other. I know how you scheme, sweetheart." He kissed the top of her head as she made a mock shocked look.

"It is working, isn't it?" Rachel grinned with pride before turning the coffee machine on.

"Perfectly." Will hugged her from behind. "I think we should tell them now, though."

"Now? As of right now?" Rachel turned to him, still wrapped in his arms. "Over-coffee now?"

"Yes, Rach, I feel like a jerk deflecting and making you change the subject every time they go near my job." Will sighed. "I think it's best to get this over with now."

"If that's really what you want then I support you." Rachel kissed his lips. "And I think they will be understanding." The brunette smiled, however, she wasn't completely convinced telling his parents so soon was the right course of action, but she cared about Will more than she did about his family, which automatically meant she was going to stand by him and his rushed decision.

"Me too, I don't want to risk our very well-thought dinner, let's break it to them now just in case. We need to take advantage of them being a fan of Scherry." Will nodded again letting go of Rachel to pour the coffee.

"That makes sense." She replied while grabbing the spoons. Rachel was now getting worried, the day had been unfolding beautifully, Will's parents seemed to like her a lot and now their son was about to tell them he had lost his job. The brunette's biggest fear at the moment was that they would blame her for that.

"Everything's going to be fine, Rach." Will said studying her movements.

"I... thought I was doing a better job at hiding my concerns, I'm sorry." She replied truthfully while thinking that Will reading her so well was unfortunate at times.

"I know." Will smiled, he was grateful that she hadn't been on edge. "I love you." He told her as he sighed. She was always taking his breath away for one reason or another.

"Is this you trying to get me to make out with you? Because it might actually work..." Rachel placed the spoons in the tray where Will had placed the cups.

"Is this you trying to blame you for something you want to do?" Will replied flirtatiously.

"That's highly likely." Rachel pecked his lips quickly. "I love you too, Will. Now let's go drop that little bomb on them and if it looks like they are upset, we tell them we have delicious cookies to go with the coffee, and come back here to hide, deal?" Rachel suggested seriously, but causing Will to laugh soundly.

"Absolutely." He nodded still laughing while they walked towards the the table, from where his parents where staring at Scherry.

"Was making coffee fun?" Mrs. Schuester joked.

"We make each other laugh a lot." Rachel pointed out not sure how else to answer.

"Cute." Will's mom grinned. As Will handed everyone their cup of coffee.

"Mom, Dad, there is something I need to tell you." Will solemnly stated while sitting. Rachel immediately held his hand firmly over the table.

"Are we going to be grandparents?" Mrs. Shuester tried to guess smiling widely.

"No, this is not good news." Will swallowed while Rachel did a mental double take. After their pregnancy scare they hadn't talked about babies again, yet he was suggesting having a child now would be considered good news?

"Oh." His mother's smile faded instantly. "Then carry on, sugarplum."

"I lost my job." Will finally said.

"But only because his boss was a mediocre educator with no common sense whatsoever." Rachel squeezed Will's hand. "And he happened to be dating my biological mother who is a bi-not a good person." Rachel nodded.

"It sounds like there is good bad story there." Sebastian Schuester crossed his arms on the table and smiled at Scherry. "I'd love to hear it."

Rachel and Will looked into each others eyes, took a deep breath and started to tell his parents about everything that had happened. Will was in charge of the general facts and Rachel added every single detail, from Mr. Morgan dating Lisa for a minute and a half to the John Gallagher pin she didn't buy. Pretty much the only thing she left out was the revenge desk sex she and Will engaged in.

"So that's what happened." Will sighed again while Rachel was holding back tears and fighting her own urge to pepper Will with kisses.

"Aw, you poor baby!" Martha Schuester said as she stood up and walked towards the opposite side of the table.

"It's ok, Mom." Will sighed while Rachel took a deep breath expecting his mother not to hate her.

"It's not." His mother replied. "Come here, give me a hug." She looked straight at Rachel, who had to blink twice in order to process what was actually happening.

"I..." Rachel was speechless, she looked at Will in absolute confusion and then proceeded to stand up not letting go of his hand, which ultimately caused him to stand as well.

"No girl should go through life without her mother, I'm sorry yours is the way she is." Mrs Schuester stated before hugging Rachel and pulling a shocked Will towards them as well.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Martha, but... Will was the real victim." Rachel said softly, trying not to contradict the women but also worried Will was being deprived of the sympathy he deserved. As soon as Will heard her a smile appeared in his face. Rachel was being as selfless as she had never been. For him.

"You both were." Will's dad added staring at his son.

"Yes but she's so young and... thank God you have my Will by your side, dear!" Martha Schuester declared emphatically as she hugged Rachel even more strongly. "Will, you need to take good care of her."

"Mom, I am, I love Rach, and you are crushing her." Will uttered patting his mother's shoulder in an attempt to separate the two women.

"Martha, you are, leave the girl breathe." Sebastian interjected laughing lightly.

"Oops." Will's mom said letting go of Rachel who was still blinking a lot.

"It's completely fine, and that was very sweet." Rachel nodded. "But Will should get a hug too." She then smiled and turned to him. "Grouphug!" Two seconds later Rachel jumped into Will's arms while Sebastian Schuester laughed from his seat and Martha was looking for her cell phone to take a picture of them.

"Rach..." Will laughed holding her tight, while she giggled.

"The girl said group hug, Seb." Martha told her husband raising an eyebrow and motioning her hands instructing him to comply.

"I heard but I didn't want to interrupt." The man shrugged standing up.

And that was how for the second time of the day, Rachel had managed to engage everyone in a group hug yet the happy-sad moment didn't last long.

"I don't mean to be a kill joy, how you youngsters call it, but what happens now?" Sebastian Schuester broke the hug.

"Rach and I have a plan." Will replied firmly, still hugging Rachel, who didn't seem to want to let go of him either.

"That's right, we do." Rachel looked into his eyes and tightened her grip on him. She didn't care what his parents thought of their public display of affection now. In fact, she had a feeling they had no problem with them.

"Would you mind sharing?" Will's dad asked as he sat again and Martha followed him.

"We don't mind, dad, but I think you and mom should trust Rachel and I on this. We know what we are doing." Will stated. He actually felt like he didn't have to tell his parents about his life. He loved them but it wasn't their business.

"He's never let you down, and he won't start now. I mean, he's just perfect, and maybe what happened was in order for him to be able to concentrate on singing, dancing and acting." Rachel nodded. Will was right, they didn't have to explain a thing to his parents, he was an adult.

"That's reasonable, and I trust you will make things work." The man replied. "Also, I'm proud of you, son, and Rachel, I hardly know you, but I can see why Will and you are a couple, I have never seen him this happy and driven."

"You should be proud, he's my favorite person in the world and has been my inspiration all along, even when I thought he wanted to ruin my career." Rachel smiled, still not letting go of Will, who seemed very moved by both his dad and Rachel's statements.

"Thank you for your support." Will smiled at his parents, then kissed the top of Rachel's head.

"You look really cute together." Martha Schuester added, checking out the picture she had taken on her cell phone screen almost as if she hadn't heard anything that had been said.

"We know." Rachel retorted both joyfully and matter-of-factly.

"If you need our help all you have to do is tell us, Will." Sebastian Schuester pointed out.

"That's ok, dad, I hope I don't need it." Will said genuinely.

"We won't. And how about doing some sightseeing now?" Rachel suggested trying to change the topic.

"Sounds good, dear." Martha Schuester agreed.

"Let's head out then." Sebastian added still looking at Will and Rachel hugging.

"Ok." Will said letting go of Rachel at last. "Thanks, Rach." He whispered as they walked towards their coats.

"Don't mention it, you brave, handsome man." She replied whispering as well.

"I wish we could ditch them." Will mumbled helping her with her coat.

"Will!" Rachel laughed.

"What's with the two of you?" Martha asked arching her eyebrows.

"Nothing, your son is being a romantic right now and I don't want to blush in front of you." Rachel sort of confessed, making Will's dad laugh, as Will himself shrugged innocently.

"Now let's go." The former teacher grabbed his jacket and held Rachel's hand to then walk to the door.

The foursome walked until their feet hurt. Not only they were able to go to all the places Will and Rachel had on their list, they had somehow managed to do some impromptu shopping, after which Will and Rachel walked his parents to his place and then said good bye to them for a few hours. Then the couple headed to Rachel's apartment in order to take a nap and get ready for dinner.

They didn't even take their clothes off. Will and Rachel were exhausted from all the walking and their lack of rest the night before, so they headed straight to bed, where they cuddled, with their mind set on taking an hour and a half power nap.

"We did it, Will." Rachel said proudly while snuggling into him. Normally she would have been a lot more enthusiastic, but tiredness was getting to her.

"Yes, we did." Will replied staring at her. "And they worship you already." He stated knowing that wasn't necessary to point out but being aware of how much Rachel liked to be reassured, he chose to be redundant.

"That's because they are smart and quickly saw how happy I make you." Rachel giggled. "I can't wait for them to meet my dads now." She nodded. "Maybe the six of us can have our own cooking competition! Wouldn't that be amazing, Will?"

"All in due time, honey." Was all Will managed to come with as, once again he was feeling overwhelmed. Normally he would have burst into laughter after hearing her suggestion, but there was a lot going on in his mind, he couldn't wait for his parents to leave, so her mention of a big family meeting happening implied a problem an a half.

"I can hear your heart beat, you know?" Rachel lifted her head from his chest and gave him a knowing look. "Why does the prospect of our families mingling make you so nervous?"

"I don't know, Rach, maybe it has something to do with the fact that you are doing great at school while I'm..." Will trailed off.

"You better not finish that sentence, Will Schuester!" Rachel warned him.

"I know, I'm sorry, it's just right now I'd rather concentrate on us than in them." Will kissed her head in hopes his justification was enough.

"I guess I can understand that." She sighed, closing her eyes and giving in this time. Rachel knew there was a lot on Will's plate as it was.

"Let's get some rest now, beautiful, we have time to worry about everything later." Will added, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Ok, I love you." Rachel told him before falling asleep. Will pressed his eyes closed trying to get some rest himself, but he was now officially worried, it seemed like Rachel was ready to burst their bubble, and she was ahead of him.

Will had been asleep for an hour when he heard Rachel's cell ringing. Careful not to wake her, he stretched his arm and took it from the night table. He sighed at the sight of the name of the caller, and decided to answer.

"Hi, Santana, how are you? Rach is asleep." He said in a quiet voice.

"At five o 'clock? Jesus, the way you two are going at it! No wonder you had to buy her new underwear! What did you do to her?" The Latina laughed.

"We walked around the city for hours." He replied dryly, but smiled at how Santana loved to try to make him uncomfortable every time they talked.

"I actually buy that. So how is she handling your mom and dad being there? I imagine she's a hot nervous mess and I wanted to check up on her."

"To the contrary, she's being calm and collective, but I appreciate you calling her." Will smiled.

"Cool, you have no idea how many times we've practiced her interaction with the older Schues. That girl was driving me crazy." Santana nodded.

"You did?" Will laughed. "Of course you did, I should have imagined it." He shook his head wondering how he could have missed that.

"Damn right, we did. Tell her I'm proud of her, ok?" Rachel's best friend lowered her tone, letting Will see how much she cared.

"I will, thanks for helping." Will sighed while staring at Rachel sleeping peacefully against his chest.

"No problem, it was fun to play your parents. By the way, how are you holding up? Must be hard to have to impress her AND them at the same time." The wise girl stated taking Will off guard.

"I'm fine but it's been quite a ride so far, thanks for asking me that, Santana." Will said filled with gratitude.

"It's ok, besides... I shouldn't tell you this, but... just this once let her take care of you." Santana advised hinting that Rachel had said something to her.

"These are my parents, I need to take care of them, though." Will thought out loud.

"I disagree, I think you should let Rachel Berry do what Rachel Berry does best." Santana pointed out, leaving Will thinking what she really meant. "Anyway, I should go now, tell B to call me when she can, and good luck with the rents."

"Uh, thanks, bye." Will said before she hung up. Then he took another look at Rachel thinking that what she did best and without trying was making him fall in love with her over and over again. He kissed her nose and tried to go back to sleep, Santana's words had helped him see he needed to relax, after all, he had Rachel, and that was what mattered. Will realized he had been afraid of what his parents might think of him and of Scherry, but now he actually didn't care. Not only because he believed he was making the right choices in life but also because he felt as carefree as he had never done before yet he had never felt so whole.

The nap ended when the alarm rang and a lot of mutual feather-light kissing started.

"I'm sorry I made you nervous before." Rachel said softly while combing Will's hair with her fingers."I didn't mean to. You know that, right?"

"Sweetheart, I know." Will pecked her lips. "And I'm sorry I overreacted. After all the effort you are putting into this weekend, I should be more open to spending time with both our families." He admitted, feeling guilty that she was apologizing when it was him who had reacted irrationally.

"But it's not the right time, isn't it?" Rachel sighed.

"I just think we should live a weekend at the time, Rach." The former teacher stated. "We can discuss a family gathering next week, how does that sound?" Will smiled.

"It would be a Scherry Family gathering." Rachel corrected him before sitting up. "And I'm fine with that, but in the meantime, can my dads friend your parents on Facebook too? I think that would actually prove to be helpful for us and I don't want them to feel like we are choosing your parents over them." Rachel smiled as Will sat up as well.

"I don't see why not." Will took her hand in his. "Rach, the fact that I don't want to rush anything has nothing to do with you or us, honey, I just want to impress your parents as much as you do mine." Will tried to explain. It was breaking his heart not to be able to grant her her wish, but at the same time, Will didn't want to fail at being the man her dads wanted for her.

"I know..." She locked eyes with him. "I just hate that you feel like you need to prove anything to them, because you really don't have to. I chose you. I choose you every day." Rachel squeezed his hand, she could see through him and past his insecurities.

"But is not that simple and you know it." Will swallowed. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he wanted her parents to choose him too.

"I actually beg to differ, I think you are making things to be more complex than they really are, Will, but ugh, we don't have time to talk about this now, so let's go ahead with your plan and do this one weekend at the time." She forced herself to smile even though it was clear she wasn't happy with where their conversation had been heading towards.

"Ok." Will conceded and kissed her cheek, unsure if he should have kept trying to find a middle ground.

Will and Rachel got ready to meet his parents without saying much to one another, even though they hadn't gotten into an argument, there was a certain amount of awkwardness around them, and they both wanted to avoid creating conflict, but at the same time, the tension was killing them inside. When they were five blocks away from the Hilton Hotel's restaurant, Rachel suddenly stopped walking and turned to face Will.

"I don't really understand why we are acting like such fools, Will." She said softly, as hurt was evident in her eyes.

"Me neither, Rach." Will stroked her cheek. "Can we just fix this?"

"Yes, please." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I cannot spend another second not talking to you. It is THAT simple."

"Me neither." Will laughed. "We'll be fine, we are just stressed, and these couple of days have been rough."

"Yes, and you were right, we should concentrate on us, I mean, I love your parents being here but it's not the best of times." She finally admitted.

"We'll survive." Will sighed, relieved.

"Of course we will, we are Scherry!" She laughed.

"Yes we are, I love Scherry." Will's laughter joined hers.

"Ok, so are you going to kiss me any time soon? Because we have just made up, well sort of, and I bet your mom and dad are waiting for us." Rachel stood on the tip of her toes and grinned.

"Yes." Will simply said before claiming her lips.

"We shouldn't have decided on a silent approach, I realize that was silly." Rachel admitted after breaking the kiss.

"I agree." Will squeezed her hand and started walking again. "I just didn't want to upset you, sweetheart."

"I know but all that awkwardness... let's just not do that again." Rachel laughed, now feeling much more relaxed.

"We won't, and I should have said something sooner; you look beautiful tonight, honey." Will smiled widely. "And you don't have to prove anything to them either, I choose you every day too, you know that. In spite of everything, I would always choose you."

"Aw, Will. You are so sweet! It's highly flattering when you steal lines from me." She stopped walking and faced him again. "I love you." Rachel started to fix the tie of his tie, that was something she had wanted to do since they had left her apartment, but since things were tense, she had fought the feeling. "And you look charming as well."

"Don't be mad, but I have to say this again, Rach, I really wish we could ditch him." Will said combing his hair with his fingers.

"It's just one more day, and we'll be free." Rachel shook her head laughing. "And there they are." She pointed at his parents waving energetically at them from the entrance of the hotel.

"One more day..." Will repeated tightening his grip on her hand and laughing as well, while they approached Martha and Sebastian.

"Hello you two!" Will's mother greeted them smiling like a mad woman.

"Hi." Will and Rachel said at the unison only to then exchange a look and a smile, happy they were in sheer synchrony again.

"We saw you kissing!" Martha announced excitedly.

"Oh..." Rachel looked down trying to cover the blush in her cheeks as Will pressed his eyes closed for a beat.

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about, child, you look picture perfect, that's why I took a few pictures." Martha said as the four entered the place.

"And by a few she means over a dozen." Sebastian added as Will shook his head smiling.

"Well, in that case..." Rachel swung her and Will's joined hands. "Maybe you can post them on Facebook, Martha, and make sure you tag me so my dads can see them."

"Oh, absolutely!" The woman beamed as the hostess approached them.

"Good evening, Welcome to the Hilton's Restaurant, do you have a reservation?" The woman welcomed them.

"Yes, under the name "Schuester"." Will informed her. He didn't realize it at the time, but his parents AND Rachel smiled widely at what he had just said. For a brief second Rachel pictured this happening in the future. Clearly, so did his parents.

"Here you are: Schuester, party of four." Laura smiled at them. "Follow me please." The hostess led them to a round table placed near the ballroom. "This is your table."

"Thank you." Will said warmly as he did the gentleman thing to do and helped Rachel sit.

"You are very welcome. Your waitress will be here soon, but let me know if you need anything. Enjoy your evening." The hostess wished them.

"Will do." The former teacher replied while sitting.

"So there is a ballroom..." Sebastian pointed out.

"Yes, that is the main reason why Will and I decided on this restaurant, we thought since you enjoy to dance you might be very partial to this."

"That's very thoughtful." Will's dad grinned. "I assume you like to dance as well, right?"

"Well, yes, but I am not nearly as good as a dancer as Will is." Rachel replied as Will stared at his mother's eyes fixed on Rachel's necklace.

"You are still young." The man smiled.

"I am, and I'm taking dancing classes next semester." Rachel commented.

"Are you going to help her practice?" Sebastian looked at his son quizzically.

"I'm sorry, what?" Will suddenly realized he had been so concentrated on his mom that he had missed what had been said.

"I just told your dad that I'm not as talented as a dancer as you are, he asked you if you were going to help me practice for my classes next semester." Rachel explained as she scanned his eyes. She sensed there was a reason why he hadn't been paying attention. "Where was your mind, sleepyhead?"

"Uh, nowhere, sorry." Will smiled, he remembered the first time Rachel had called him that and his heart warmed instantly. "And yes, of course I'm going to help her, I'd be thrilled to." He told his dad.

"She's always been your favorite student, after all." Sebastian added with a grinn, while Martha kept staring at Rachel's neck.

"Hmmm, interesting..." Rachel bit her lower lip. "Is that so, Will?"

"You already know I've always been your biggest fan, Rach." Will laughed.

"However, that doesn't necessarily mean I was your favorite." She arched her eyebrows while Sebastian Schuester watched their interaction in delight.

"I was a fair teacher, honey, and in order to achieve that, I didn't have favorites, but you were special to me." Will tried to explain.

"That's contradictory, son. Even I knew out of all your Glee Club members she was the one you cared for the most." Sebastian interjected.

"Ok, so here you have another set of fans, sweetheart." Will chuckled without confirming or denying the previous statement.

"Did you give her that necklace, sweet pea?" Martha suddenly asked, changing the topic by accident, and causing Rachel's heart to beat faster than normal. They couldn't tell them the story behind that piece of jewelry.

"We actually found it together." Will replied quickly.

"It's my lucky charm." Rachel added. "Shall we take a look at the menu?"

"It's an endearing way of showing commitment if you ask me..." Martha giggled. "And sure! I'm starving." And with that the four proceeded to carefully examine their options.

"That caught me off guard." Rachel whispered Will covering both their faces with the menu they were sharing.

"It almost did me, I saw she looking at it." Will smiled. "Don't worry, Rach, we've got this." He whispered and sneaked a kiss.

"I know, for some reason I got nervous, though. You don't think this necklace gives people the wrong idea, don't you?" Rachel sighed.

"No, Rach, I don't think that, you heard my mom. And relax, you are doing great." Will held her free hand with his over the table.

"Easy for you to say, they are your parents." Rachel pointed out.

"Let me share a secret with you then." Will lowered his tone even more. "I'm more nervous about this than you are." Rachel's breath caught, he was being truthful, and once again, they were on equal grounds. She adored how Will never pretended to have things under control and chose to be vulnerable instead.

"Makes sense, this is one of many milestones for us." She smiled. " What do you feel like having? I was thinking we could order two dishes we both like and share..."

"That sounds like you already have them picked, am I right?" Will raised an eyebrow, he could always see when Rachel had her mind set up on anything.

"Not exactly but I thought you would love to try the pumpkin ravioli... and the vegan lasagna looks interesting to me..." Rachel shrugged trying to cover the fact, that yes, she had picked their dished indeed.

"I'm in, Rach, but I'm choosing dessert."

"Deal!" She beamed at him and pecked his lips quickly. "I love you."

"Me too." Will let her hand go and stroked her cheek as they both stared into each other's eyes still hidden behind the menu. There was something very romantic about being so sneaky when his parents were so close.

They closed the menu and left in on the table only to find Will's parents where also whispering behind their menu. Scherry exchanged a look and a smile knowing they were both wondering which couple was mirroring the other.

"It's just a matter of time, Seb, you'll see. A mother knows." They overheard Martha say.

"We'll see." He replied, then their menu was closed as well and joined the other on the table. "Did you decide?" Sebastian asked the younger couple. Before they could answer, the waitress finally approached the table and took their orders.

"I must say I am enjoying this visit a lot." Martha said. "I might be a little too excited about this, but I think you are a great addition to our family, Rachel."

"You are so kind to say that." Rachel smiled, touched by those words. "It's been lovely to meet you. That being said, how did you two meet?" The brunette opened a new topic.

"We were high-school sweethearts." Sebastian succinctly replied.

"Yes, I was aware of that fact, Will told me, but that's not exactly what I asked..." Rachel crossed her arms over her chest, feeling confident enough to call the man out on how he had evaded her question. Will took a look at her and chuckled, he was proud of how brave she was, and if he had to be honest, he was enjoying her questioning his parents.

"Tell her, Seb, it's not THAT bad..." Martha laughed, spiking Rachel's interest.

"She's not going to quit until she gets to the bottom of it, dad." Will assured him.

"Alright, we were in home ec class together and she helped me with a recipe." The man sighed.

"He had no idea how to bake cupcakes." Martha contributed. "I had to help him, and after we baked the most perfect cupcakes the teacher had ever seen, he asked me out, we've been together ever since."

"Aw, that is so romantic! Cooking is, really, I mean, it's a joined effort, hands touch... and by the end, you get something sweet to share. I love your love story." Rachel smiled while resting her head in Will's shoulder. "We need to bake more often, Will."

"As you wish, sweetheart." Will wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"You know, a couple that cooks together, stays together." Martha said matter-of-factly, causing everyone to laugh. "Seb and I were wondering if you were going to sing for us together..."

"We can make that happen." Will quickly answered.

"Tomorrow over breakfast?" Martha inquired.

"No, mom, I'm sorry but tomorrow I plan on taking Rach out for breakfast." Will said in a serious tone. "We can meet afterwards and we'll perform for you." Will surprised Rachel by disclosing what he had in mind. At the same time, she was impressed at the way he wanted them to have some time alone, and didn't care to decline his parents invitation.

"We'd like that." Sebastian added as Rachel started to do a mental list of duets they could sing for his parents.

Seconds later, the waitress neared their table and brought their dishes, but their meals didn't stop their chatting.

"You two look like you have been together longer than you have. I hope you don't mind me saying that." Sebastian made an observation that unsettled both Will and Rachel slightly.

"That's fine, dad." Will sipped some water. "After all, we knew each other well. This city just brought us closer." He grinned.

"That's just one more reason to love New York." Rachel fell compelled to add.

"You don't miss Lima at all?" Martha asked.

"I miss my dads and my best friend, yes, but I feel this is where I belong." Rachel said with conviction.

"Me too." Will smiled. "By the way, Santana called today while you were sleeping, Rach, I forgot to tell you."

"That's my BFF." Rachel explained his parents, then turned to Will. "Really? What did she say? Oh, wait, do I want to know?" Rachel opened her eyes wide realizing the Schuesters weren't probably ready to hear anything that had came from San's mouth. At the same time, Will's parents were puzzled by her question.

"She wanted to know how you were doing." Will explained without giving further information.

"I'm going to get back to her tomorrow. She is very protective of me, and also a fan of me and Will." Once again Rachel proceeded to let his parents know. "She has a pet name for us: Scherry." The brunette nodded as Will burst into laughter.

"Well, look at that!" Martha laughed as well. "I like the sound of it."

"It's certainly interesting." Sebastian interjected. "Now if you excuse me, I would like to have a dance with my wife." He proceeded to say as he stood up and held his hand out to Martha.

"Aw." Rachel exclaimed.

"We'll be back soon." Martha announced, while standing.

"Don't worry about us, take your time." Will nodded, actually relieved he and Rachel were going to be left alone.

Sebastian and Martha marched towards the ball room, and joined the other couples that were slow dancing.

"I want what they have." Rachel sighed staring at Will's parents. "Not that our relationship is flawed... but I want us to be like that when we reach their age."

"I know, Rach, me too." Will kissed her head. "And you know, San told me your little secret, honey."

"I was afraid she might have when you mentioned she called." Rachel giggled. "I know it was childish but I didn't want you to REALLY know how nervous I was."

"It wasn't childish." Will nodded.

"Good. I didn't overdo it, didn't I? Please tell me I did not." Rachel bit her lip waiting for some sort of review.

"No, you are being perfect, but I have to ask, oral hygiene, Rach? How did you come up with that?" Will shook his head recalling that comment.

"It's a long story actually." She looked down.

"I want to hear it." Will placed his finger under her chin and made their eyes met.

"Ok." Rachel took a deep breath, almost not believing she was going to share something she had kept for herself for so long. "That's what I thought when we performed Endless Love, and I also recall noticing you had beautiful eyes and that I thought that while singing with you I was seeing you for the first time... I know, it's cheesy."

"Honey!" Will laughed. "It is cheesy but you were young, I don't know if you realize it but you've grown so much since then... and it's a pleasure to be here to enjoy who you've became." He pecked her lips. "Don't take this the wrong way but back then when we were singing I thought you looked crazy."

"I know, I probably did." She looked down again, then up. "I still think you have beautiful eyes, but that wasn't the first time I could really see you. It actually happened a while after that." She admitted in a soft voice.

"When?"

"I really saw you when I was in that bus and you weren't, Will." Rachel sighed once again, every time that memory hit her, she felt a knot forming in her stomach.

"I was feeling miserable that day." Will nodded as he rubbed her back.

"It was devastating that you couldn't come with us." Rachel laced their fingers together over the table.

"I knew you guys needed me but the truth was I needed you more than you needed me." Will confessed himself.

"I know." Rachel kissed his cheek. "That is why I believe that to have been when I first saw you, you were vulnerable and your walls were down. I felt like you needed a hug."

"Do you want to know when was the first time I really saw you?" Will smiled shyly.

"Please!" Rachel beamed at him.

"When you told me about being thirsty when you are sad. That day I wanted to hold you and make sure you would always have a bottle of water with you, I swear, sweetheart, I..." He tried to keep going but Rachel cut him off by kissing him with all she had.

"Will... you will not be able to believe this but I feel I'm so much more in love with you right now than I was ten minutes ago..." The brunette stated as she broke the kiss.

"I can believe that, I am too." Will said stroking her cheek.

"Ok, now wait for me right here." Rachel quickly stood up and let go of his hand.

"Where are you going?" Will asked in utter confussion.

"To get us a room." Rachel nodded as a flirty smile appeared in her face.

"What?" The former teacher was dumbstruck.

"We are not going to make it home tonight, let's face it." She nodded.

"Let me do that then, Rach." He tried to grab her wrist but she shied away before he was able to.

"No, my treat." Rachel shook her head.

"How are you paying for it?" The former teacher was curious, also, worried about money.

"I sort of figured this could happen after you tried to bargain with me this morning. Not only that, I was HOPING spontaneity would take the best of us so I brought my debit card." Rachel giggled.

"But Rach..." Will really intended to stop her, but not only he knew he couldn't, he was 80% sure he didn't want to.

"Don't say a word and keep you parents entertained if they come back before I do." And with that she winked at him and proceeded to leave. Will was left in a stated that combined exhilaration and daze, then he smiled and recalled Santana's words. He was in fact letting Rachel Berry do what she did best, take him in a journey that he would never forget.

Five minutes later, Rachel silently returned to the table and sat next to Will, without saying a word, she slipped the room's key card in his pant's pocket and innocently smiled at him. Will had known it all along but in that comment, he confirmed his thoughts. Rachel was both, the love of her life and the death of him.

"You can't just do that." He whispered to her ear.

"Why not? You said earlier that we were having breakfast sans your parents, this fits right into schedule." She playfully grinned.

"You have your tiny purse, Rach, yet you decide to use my pocket to keep the card, you tease." Will laughed.

"There is a perfect explanation for that, though." Rachel pecked his lips.

"Yeah, you want to turn me on beyond belief." Will lowered his tone again.

"In all fairness, yes." Rachel admitted. "And you can't hold that against me. But what if your mom and I were to go to the ladies room together and she saw that key, huh? I would blush, then die." She nodded.

"You've always been the perfect mastermind, sweetheart." Will sighed without breaking eye contact with her. "And it's good to know you want to ditch them as well." Will laughed as he once again wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I might." Rachel took her glass and drank some water. "Don't tell them but you are my favorite Schuester." She trailed her fingers down his tie, causing Will to swallow.

"You still want me to admit you were my favorite, don't you?" Will said serious, still locking eyes with Rachel.

"Well, hello! Of course I do, I mean, even your dad thinks I was, why won't you admit it? It's not illegal..." She combed his hair with her fingers.

"Fine, you were, Rach, happy now?" Will laughed.

"Extremely." Her laughter joined his.

"Ready for dessert?" Martha Shuester's voice broke the moment.

"Um, actually, I think Rach and I are going to call it a night, we didn't sleep enough." Will lied.

"I bet." Sebastian Schuester said not buying a single word. "We should get some rest as well, I'm guessing tomorrow is going to be another hectic day."

"That's the plan." Rachel nodded. "Oh, and if you are aching for dessert, there are still leftovers from today's fruit salad in the fridge."

"Perfect." Martha smiled, sensing Will and Rachel really wanted to part ways with them.

Will's parents settled the check and the two couples headed out. Now that was the moment for Will and Rachel to REALLY sell their lie and keep his parents in the dark as to what they were doing.

"You should take the first cab that comes, Rachel's apartment is closer than mine." Will suggested as Rachel hailed the taxi.

"Well thanks, son." Sebastian laughed knowing his only son and his much younger girlfriend were definitely up to something.

"We'll meet you tomorrow at Will's, goodnight." Rachel said nodding.

"Have fun you two." Martha giggled as her husband opened the car's door for her.

"Thanks." Rachel said soflty, trying her best not to blush as she saw Martha winking at her from the taxi

"Night." Will replied waving at them as the door closed.

"I believe we could have been more subtle." Rachel sighed. "They totally know. Martha WINKED at me, Will!" Rachel laughed nervously.

"I'm ok with that, honey." Will held her hand.

"You are?" Rachel arched an eyebrow as they made it inside the hotel.

"After the way your parents found out about us, mine suspecting we have a playdate doesn't stress me." Will laughed.

"You have a point." She nodded entering the elevator. "Now tell me, when are we supposed to rehearse out duet?"

"We'll have to wing it, honey." Will replied quickly, before closing the gap between them and locking lips with her.

"But that's... highly unprofessional!" Rachel complained, as he kissed her jaw. "Will!" She giggled. "We aren't in the privacy of our room, yet."

"That's why I'm keeping it PG until then." He claimed her lips again. "I love you."

"Me too." She replied softly watching his eyes darkening. "But we are still going to practice the song." She placed her palms on his chest and gave him a look.

"Fine." Will groaned as the elevator doors opened. "In the shower tomorrow morning, I promise." He suggested.

"Will Shuester you better keep your word." The brunette laughed while they walked down the hallway in search of their room.

"You know I always keep my promises, Rach." He winked, alluding to what he had sworn in the morning.

"True." Rachel swung their hands as they stopped walking in front of a door that read "9". "Hmm, room nine, we are in cloud nine, I believe the universe is telling us something." She laughed while Will opened the door.

"Possibly." Will motioned for her to get inside and once they both did he closed the door as fast as possible while Rachel giggled at his eagerness.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" She kicked her shoes off and walked backwards with a smile on her face. "It's not like I'm going anywhere..."

"No, you are not." Will caught up with her and put his hands around her waist, then kissed her passionately.

"Ok." She gasped as she dropped her purse carelessly. "Bed. NOW." Rachel said in a bossy tone.

"No." Will stated firmly backing her against the wall.

"You don't want to waste any time at all, do you?" She managed to say in between the heated kisses they were exchanging.

"No." He repeated pressing his body to hers and causing her back to hit the wall.

"You get extra credit for time management." Rachel giggled taking his jacket off.

"Then we might blow the chart tonight, sweetheart." He whispered in her ear and his hands traveled to her legs.

"Whatever that means, I can't wait to find out." Rachel said almost out of breath feeling how hot his hands were on her bare skin, yet her body was already covered by goosebumps.

"What makes you think I'm making you wait?" Will replied in a hoarse voice when his hands reached her underwear. Rachel let out a soft moan at the feel of his finger sliding though the thin material. "All day I've been aching to touch you like this." He nipped at her pulse point at the same time he pushed her panties down.

"You don't say..." Rachel threw her head back and wrapped her arms around his neck, she knew she was going to need support soon.

"Uh-huh..." Will kept pushing her underwear as far down as he could with one hand, as he cupped her with the other. Rachel closed her eyes instantly, she was getting light headed.

"Good to know." She kissed his shoulder over his shirt, then she felt his hands leaving her body. "What the..." She opened her eyes and then narrowed them. "Will, why did you..." Her question died in her lips when he started to kiss down her body, to finally kneel in front of her.

"I have to get this out of the way." He took her underwear off and stood up again. "Now who's in a hurry?" He said playfully before kissing her.

"I already was." Rachel stroke her neck at the same time he parted her legs with his hands. "Didn't you see me hailing that taxi?" She was able to say before her breath caught when Will's fingers teased her entrance.

"I did." He rubbed circles in her clit, increasing the pressure with each motion.

"More." She requested, trying to undo his belt. The problem was his actions were making her unable to concentrate on her task.

"Soon." He whispered before kissing her forehead.

"Now." She stoked him through his pants, hoping to make him lose concentration long enough for her to undo his damn belt.

"Rach..." He sighed.

"Now, Will." She undid his belt and opened his fly with her free hand. "Oh,..." Her tone softened when he slid a finger inside her.

"Love you." He whispered against the skin of her neck, while she wrapped her right leg around his hips in order to bring him closer.

"Same." Rachel giggled at how their sentences kept getting shorter and shorter. "Now." She insisted.

"Now." He nodded as he took his finger out and positioned himself at her entrance. A second later he was thrusting into her and the only sounds coming from their lips were moans and whimpers. Their bodies embraced one another, their heat was almost too much to handle, and their drive was intensifying with each second of pleasure. Soon they were all reaching their climax and trying to get some air.

"Are you ok, my love?" Will asked to a very comatose-looking Rachel.

"Yes... perfect." She opened her eyes. "But still fully clothed." She smiled gingerly, causing him to laugh.

"Sweetheart, give me a minute to recover, I am not in my twenties..." He kissed her lips.

"Which is CLEARLY not a problem." She laughed, loosening his tie. "You, William Schuester, are unmistakeably what people would call a stud." Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck once again and kissed him sweetly on the lips.

"I don't care about other people, what would you call me?" He kicked his shoes and proceeded to lift her.

"Well, if you must know..." The brunette giggled as Will carried her to the still untouched bed.

"I must." Will nodded laying her down carefully.

"The man of my dreams." She said in a lower, yet serious tone. "Now clothes!" She demanded, pulling him down with her by his collar.

"Now clothes..." He repeated before kissing her.

At that point they knew chances were they wouldn't sleep much for a second night in a row, but neither of them seemed to care on the slightest. Parents, fears, unemployment, commitment, failed auditions, nothing mattered one bit when Rachel and Will knew that while they made love the rest of the world faded completely. There was always going to be time to wake up, face the music and worry, but regardless of the melody playing, they were always going to do their best to come up with a duet.


	24. Chapter 24

**A.N.: Sorry for the delay, my life is very crazy atm. I hope you all like this chapter. Huge thanks to BuffyAnne for editing this and to my lovely partners in Schueberry crime, you know who you are, and you are all awesome ;) Anyway, without further ado, here's the chapter! **

**Bricks**

**Chapter XXIV**

Rachel slowly blinked into consciousness and took a good look at her surroundings. She was facing a big window that showcased the city she had come to love so deeply. Smiling to herself, she realized she hadn't really seen the room until that moment. As all her senses kicked in, she wondered if she could catalog that moment as another Scherry sightseeing activity, since they had explored New York together and this was a new view. Determined to ask Will, she turned in bed only to find his back facing her. He was whispering something she couldn't quite hear. The brunette traced her fingers down his bare back letting him know she was awake and he shifted immediately with a cheerful expression in his face.

"Thank you. That's perfect, and yes, Mrs. Schuester is a vegan." He blew a kiss in Rachel's direction. "I appreciate it. Bye," he said before hanging up. "Hello gorgeous." Will moved closer to her. "I was about to wake you; we slept in."

"Good morning." She kissed him slowly before cuddling with him. "Did we get married last night?" She tilted her head. "Because if we eloped my dads are going to hunt you down, and I don't want to think about what your mom could do..." He kissed her head and chuckled.

"The receptionist asked if Mrs. Schuester was on any special diet, so I played along. I'm guessing SOMEONE made the reservation under my name..." Will arched his eyebrows.

"Someone must have." Rachel joked as she twirled a strand of her hair with her fingers. "I swear your mother did not get into my head with her various remarks. I still firmly believe marrying this young would be out of sheer stupidity." They both nodded at her words. "I just gave them your name so it matched our dinner reservation, and we could get a discount on the room and complementary breakfast." She explained.

"How did you know about that?" Will smartly asked, causing Rachel to bite her lip."Rach, you had this planned all along, sweetheart?"

"No?" She buried her head in his chest, giggling, as he shook his head laughing. "Okay, yes, it was San's idea, actually, and you must concur with me, it was a bright one..." She kissed his chest.

"Rachel Berry, you tricked me when you sold me the restaurant saying it had vegan options and a ballroom!" Will burst into laughter.

"In my defense, letting you know about my ulterior motives would have killed half the fun. And I did not TRICK you; I merely left some information out when I presented you the options." She smiled innocently. "Besides, your expression when I told you I was going to get us a room was priceless."

"You are right about that." Will pecked her lips and sat in bed. "But this is another 'Push It' kind of situation." He said, unwilling to let it go and bringing the past along. "You always have to get things done your way."

"Maybe so, but I didn't hear you complain last night; therefore, I won't have you doing it now. Truth be told, I don't feel guilty at all. I'm sorry if your ego is bruised but..." Will cut her off with a passionate kiss.

"Rach, I liked your surprise A LOT. Truce?" he said softly, now regretting the mention of that infamous event.

"Yes." She grinned.

"Now I owe you a surprise, Mrs. Schuester." He added, sitting up and trying to spot his underwear.

"If you keep calling me that, it's going to slip in front of your mother and we'll never hear the end of it, Mr. Schuester." Rachel laughed. "And yes you do."

"You just wait, Rach..." Will smiled smugly, causing her to quickly sit up.

"What did you do, Will?" She narrowed her eyes. Rachel could always tell when Will was bluffing, and he wasn't.

"If I tell you, I'll ruin half the fun." Will winked before standing up and putting his boxers on.

"Touché." Rachel shook her head. Her mind was now going ten miles a minute trying to guess what he could possibly have in store for her.

"I didn't know what you had done when I did what I did, Rach," Will said from the bathroom.

"Great minds think alike, obviously," she added, proudly.

"Mhm." Will nodded as he emerged from the bathroom wearing a bathrobe and holding one for her in his hands. "Room service will be here soon," he said giving her the item.

"Thanks." The brunette smiled. "Should we call your parents and let them know we will be meeting them for lunch? I mean, we still have to eat, shower, rehearse our song and go to my apartment in order to change..."

"No need. I called them already and they said they'll meet us at five in your place." Will explained as he stared at Rachel putting the robe on.

"Will, you are ogling me." She shook her head laughing. "And why so late?"

"I know I am; you are gorgeous." He grinned. "They said they wanted to do a few things. Also, they are leaving tomorrow afternoon instead of tomorrow morning, so we can do what we had planned to do anyway.

"Now I know you are lying about something." Rachel narrowed her eyes. "But that's fine; you don't have to tell me."

"Thanks, so can you skip your classes tomorrow?"

"Not a problem." Rachel smiled wide, tying her robe.

"Now we have time to rehearse, like you wanted." Will stated before hearing a knock on the door. "I've got this, Rach." And with that Will took care of the hotel's employee and came back with their breakfast. Under no circumstance was he going to let anyone see Rachel wearing just a robe.

"We really deserved this much pampering." The brunette affirmed placing a pillow behind her back and arranging one for Will.

"I agree." Will sat beside her and placed the trey in front of them. "Tell San I loved her plan."

"Count on it. She's been truly wonderful. I really do miss her." Rachel grabbed her cup of coffee and smelled it. "Shall we make a toast?"

"Sure, honey." Will took his cup as well and lifted it. "To us."

"And to our friends and family." She said before clinking the cups.

A few hours later, Rachel and Will were back at her apartment, where the cat rushed to welcome them.

"Aw, she missed us." Rachel said holding the kitty.

"I still can't believe you haven't named her, Rach." Will laughed.

"Well, let's just say you've kept me quite busy; also, her name hasn't came to me just yet." She walked to her bedroom in search for fresh clothes.

"Ok..." Will followed her. "Any ideas of what song we should sing?"

"Only about ten..." She shrugged and opened her closet still holding her unnamed pet. "If I wear my white dress with pink kangaroos, will it match your clothes?"

"Will it..." Will started to laugh until he saw Rachel casting a look in his direction. "Sorry sweetheart, you had me at pink kangaroos, but to answer to your question, yes it will." The former teacher approached her and hugged her from behind. "Don't worry so much, Rach. There isn't a Schuester that doesn't love you already."

"Thanks for saying that. I love you." She relaxed in his arms. "Do you like the dress? Be honest."

"I'm sure it will look great on you." Will kissed the top of her head.

"Alright then." She turned and kissed his lips. "I'll be right back, then we can discuss our duet." She carefully handed him the kitty and retreated to the bathroom before he could say anything.

"Your mom is quite something," Will said to the little cat, feeling slightly ridiculous and also a bit paternal. He couldn't help but think maybe in a few years, instead of a cat, he could be holding a baby. In that moment he felt a shiver running through his body; his mother had gotten to him.

Will placed the cat on the bed and picked a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt and got dressed in a matter of seconds. He knew if his choice wasn't the right one, Rachel would always let him know. Also, his mind was elsewhere, possibly too fixated on the unnamed cat. Rachel came out of the bathroom and interrupted his thoughts.

"What's the verdict?" She asked, causing him to turn to her.

"Rach, you look adorable!" Will laughed. "If anyone could make pink kangaroos look sexy that's you."

"Yay! Now let's talk duets. I have an extraordinary idea for a song, but we'd need to make some arrangements. Your guitar is here somewhere, right?" She walked to him and held his hand. She was high on the anticipation of singing together.

"It was in the living room the last time I saw it." He started walking towards the room, as Rachel began doing vocal warm ups. "You are not wasting any time, huh?"

"That's what she said..." Rachel giggled. "What I said, actually."

"I recall, my love." Will smiled widely at the fresh memory. "But if you start teasing now I'm afraid we won't be able to practice." He warned her.

"You are absolutely right. Oh, there's your guitar." Rachel pointed out and sat on the couch. Will went to take it and then sat beside her.

"Tell me about the song." He smiled.

Hours passed between lyrics, arrangements and a few make out sessions breaks that Rachel carefully scheduled. Soon it was 2:30 pm.

"Honey, we have this song down." Will smiled proudly, putting his guitar down.

"This is decidedly one of our future greatest hits." She clapped her hands. "I'm so excited!" She pecked his lips.

"So am I." He kissed her nose. "Don't be upset but I have to leave you alone for a little while."

"You what? Why?" Rachel pouted. "I was thinking we could make a different kind of music... we still have plenty of time before your parents get here..." Rachel said in a flirty tone as she sat in his lap and combed his hair with her fingers.

"Rach..." Will sighed. "Please don't do this now."

"Why not? Will, you cannot sing with and to me that very romantic song and then expect me not to FEEL romantic..." She traced his lips with her finger. "Besides, what is so important that you have to leave at this very moment?"

"I have to go get your surprise." Will explained, slightly pulling away from her. He knew that all it would take for him to not go where he was supposed to and instead rip the dress with pink kangaroos from her was a single look.

"Oh." Rachel smiled widely. "In that case you are forgiven. You can go, then come back, give me my surprise and then we can indulge, but hurry!" She stood up as Will laughed his heart out.

"It'll be worth it, I swear." Will stood.

"Just don't take too long." She kissed him. "Now go!"

"Okay, okay, leaving. Love you." Will shook his head and proceeded to exit the apartment.

Rachel sat again and took her phone from the coffee table.

"Berry! It was about time! Dish!" Santana didn't bother to hide her excitement.

"No, before I say anything you need to tell me what you know about Will's surprise."

"What surprise?" Santana was confused.

"Okay, that settles it. He's getting better at covering his tracks... hmmm." Rachel thought out loud.

"Maybe but let's not get distracted. I want details!" The Latina insisted.

"You know I'm a lady and as such, I don't kiss and tell; however, I will share a few details. A. I believe to have gotten two thumbs up from his parents, and B. last night I was wearing the underwear Will purchased for me with your help and I don't think he noticed." Rachel laughed as she laid down on the couch.

"B! That's awesome! I'm very proud of you and your inner vixen." Santana nodded.

"Well, thank you, BFF. By the way, why did you tell Will about our secret? Do you want me to tell Finn about yours?" Rachel giggled.

"You would never be capable, Berry. You still like Finn enough not to want to cause him an aneurism." San laughed.

"You are right. I should know better than to make empty threats to you..." Rachel admitted.

"Yep. My BS-meter is solid. Sorry I told The Schuester, it slipped."

"It's fine, he didn't think it was strange; in fact, he appreciated my effort." The brunette smiled.

"Earth to Berry! He thinks everything you do is precious. You have him by the balls." Santana pointed out.

"I hate it when you use certain expressions. You could have simply said that I'm his world." Rachel complained.

"Yeah, yeah..." Santana mumbled. "Finn's here. Speaker time, Berry!." She left Rachel no choice.

"Hey Rach, what's up? Did you like your underwear?" Finn asked nonchalantly as his girlfriend sat on his lap.

"Santana Lopez!" Rachel yelled in utter outrage.

"What? I didn't do anything!" Santana laughed.

"I said that. I'm Finn. Do I sound like San?" Finn rubbed his forehead, worried.

"No! Of course not! I knew that was you! But your girlfriend, also known as my best friend, shouldn't make you privy of every single detail concerning Will and myself!"

"Hey! Why not? He helped Will too, B! Your boyfriend made him privy, not me!" Santana made her case. "And that was FUN!" The Latina and the tall boy performed a loud high five Rachel was able to hear.

"Still! I am not discussing any of this with you, Finn!" Rachel said in frustration.

"Does that mean you didn't like the underwear?" Finn looked at his girlfriend, confused. "She didn't like it?"

"Yes, she did, babe, she's just freaking out because she likes to pretend you don't know about her sex life." Santana interjected. "Berry come on... Finn and I are Scherry supporters..."

"I know, however I am not having a conversation about underwear with the two of you. In fact, how would you like it if Will asked San about her underwear, Finn Hudson?" Rachel was exasperated.

"She doesn't wear any as of lately." Finn smiled like an idiot.

"And FYI, that drives him crazy, B, you should try it sometime." Santana advised. "The Schuester will love it and it's going to save him a few bucks. Win/win."

"Yeah!" Finn supported the statement.

"Ugh, I should have seen that coming. Anyway, I have to get ready to welcome Will back, so I better go." Rachel sat up.

"Whatever, we were about to get frisky." Santana announced.

"Cool!" Finn said excited. "Bye, Rach."

"Enjoy whatever surprise Will has for you, B!" Santana exclaimed laughing once again.

"I surely will. Talk to you later." The petite brunette ended the call and sighed.

Rachel straightened her hair, put some make and perfume on and then checked the time. Will had been gone for over two hours and she was already anxious to have him back. She texted him letting him know she was worried, and he replied he was roughly two minutes away. She sent him a smiley face and a heart and then smiled to herself. She was ready to make her way to the living room when she thought about what her best friend had said and felt bold enough to try something new. That is how Rachel Berry closed her eyes, took her underwear off, left it behind a pillow on her bed and then went back to sit on the couch. Moments later she heard Will's keys in her door and grinned. He was back, with her surprise and she was still going to have the upper hand. Rachel couldn't be more content.

"Rach, your surprise is here..." Will said in a joyful tone.

"And I have one for..." She turned and her jaw dropped open. "Dad! Daddy!" She stood up slowly, blinking in disbelief. "Will!" She jumped off the couch and ran towards the three men she loved the most. She stood before them and the first thought that crossed her mind was to make a demand. "Group hug!" The Berrys and Will quickly complied.

"Princess!" Richard rubbed her back.

"It's so good to see you." Robert nodded half-hugging his daughter as well.

"But this... Will! You blindsided me!" She looked up and into his eyes. "I love you so much..." She clung to his torso, and he automatically stroked her cheek, locking eyes with her.

"Okay, you two... parents in the room." Richard laughed.

"Sorry Daddy, I just can't believe you are here." She let go of Will. "I didn't suspect a thing! And does this mean you are going to meet Sebastian and Martha?" Rachel looked back and forth from the Berrys to Will.

"You can bet on that." Robert replied as Will silently nodded.

"Wow... this is amazing! But I'm going to kill you, Will!" She narrowed her eyes.

"Dear, he brought us here; he doesn't deserve to die for that. In fact, I want to give this young man a medal." Richard smiled proudly while Will closed the door. "But that doesn't mean we are not going to be asking multiple questions about your relationship..."

"Oh, we know, and he's the best." Rachel smiled tenderly. "But please, come sit, I really can't believe this is real; you are here!"

"And we are happy to be. We miss you." Robert sighed as everyone sat down.

"Aw, I miss you too." Rachel kissed Will's cheek. "Thanks for this."

"You deserve it, honey." Will wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"We are so team Scherry." Richard clapped his hands. "I believe you must be the best looking couple with such an age difference." He pointed out.

"You know about our pet name?" Rachel asked shaking her head and neglecting to address the second part of his dad's statement. "How?" She turned to Will.

"Don't look at me; I didn't fill them in." Will shook his head.

"Santana and Finn mentioned it a few nights ago during Poker Night. After that, she cleaned us out." Robert explained.

"Oh..." Rachel was stunned. "How long are you staying? And, wow, where? Will, you didn't think this through!"

"We are staying here with you and your man is staying with his parents." Robert announced in a serious tone.

"WHAT?" Rachel shot yet another look at Will, then addressed her dads. "Dad, Daddy, I understand you like to think of me as your little girl but I am not one any more. That said, Will and I have a strict policy that goes against spending any night apart, therefore, in spite of..."

"Rach, he's joking. They are staying at a hotel nearby." Will cut the brunette off before she would disclose any further detail as to how they spent their nights. She let out a sigh and then smiled relieved.

"Gotcha!" Robert laughed.

"That was mean!" Rachel complained.

"It was also easy, didn't you notice we are not carrying any luggage?" Robert let out another laugh.

"I certainly did not since I was very surprised to see the both of you here." Rachel crossed her arms over her chest, upset she had been the target of a joke.

"Dear, we have no intention of interfering with you and Will's love-making." Richard stated without blinking while Will and Rachel both pressed their eyes closed for a second.

"Why the faces? You are in love, we support love..." Richard said in confusion.

"And we appreciate how... modern you are, but I beg of you, do NOT make those kind of remarks in front of Will's parents, please." Rachel said almost out of breath as Will reached for her hand as a way to quietly calm her down.

"He'll behave." Robert assured her, patting his husband's knee.

"Thanks." Rachel breathed in and out. "Who wants coffee?"

"What kind of question is that, princess?" Robert smiled.

"Alright, Will and I will be back soon." Rachel stood up, pulled Will's hand and led him to the kitchen.

"Surprise." Will shrugged.

"I've never been so conflicted towards my feelings when it comes to you, Will. In a matter of seconds, I went from wanting to murder you to aching to make out." She wrapped her arms around him and peppered his face with kisses. "I love you so so much... When did you plan this?" She traced his jaw with her finger.

"Last night, when you went to get our key. This was all very last minute." Will smiled and rubbed her forearms.

"That means we had made up already... I didn't push you to do this, right? Please tell me you feel comfortable with them here." Rachel scanned his eyes. Now she was worried Will wasn't ready for a Scherry family gathering.

"You didn't push me, honey. I wanted to do this for you, for the both of us. Plus it's two birds and one stone..." Will stroked her hair. He was obviously nervous about their parents being there but then again, he was putting Rachel's feelings first.

"I don't even know what to say other than how much I love you. I promise you won't regret this, Will." She hugged him strongly.

"I know, but we need to make coffee. If we keep them waiting, they are going to think what we don't want them to think..." He laughed.

"True." She pecked his lips for the last time before breaking the embrace. Then the door bell rang. "Unless you have another surprise for me I'm guessing your parents are here." Rachel smiled.

"I better get the door, Rach." Will kissed the top of her head and started to walk away from her.

"You do that fast. I'm afraid if we leave our parents together they will try to name our twins AND the cat." Rachel joked; however, Will quickened his pace and reached the door in a matter of seconds as the Berrys proceeded to stand up, ready to be introduced to his family.

"Hey." Will opened the door telling himself this was for the best.

"Sugarplum! Are they here?" Martha greeted him. "Is Rachel happy?"

"Slow down, Martha." Sebastian said in a soft tone. "We don't want to scare our son, do we?"

"He's our only son, and we thought he would never find someone. He can't be scared of this!" She candidly replied, unaware of how much Will hated to remember what they thought of him regarding finding love.

"Come inside, they are here." He simply stated as he moved away from the entrance to let his parents in.

"What a beautiful apartment!" Martha smiled as Rachel came out of the kitchen and left a trey on the coffee table. "Hi." The woman and her husband stood in front of the Berry dads.

"Robert, Richard, these are my parents, Sebastian and Martha." Will said in a moderated joyful tone, then he felt Rachel's hand holding his. He looked at her and she was smiling wide, and once again he knew he had made the right call.

"We are very pleased to meet you." Robert said shaking hands with them.

"Likewise." Sebastian replied as he patted his wife's shoulder.

"We have heard so much about the two of you." The woman contained herself for the first time in two days.

"So have we! Isn't this wonderful?" Richard beamed at them.

"It is." Rachel added. "Let's just have coffee, shall we?." She motioned for everyone to sit and as soon as they did the two set of parents were scrutinizing one another. In a spare of a second, Rachel realized maybe what seemed perfect in her mind wasn't as easy to achieve. She squeezed Will's hand and he understood that was his cue to do something.

"We are all here." He nervously stated causing the petite brunette to smile. Every time Will was stressed he became obvious, and she found that adorable, besides, he was really trying to make things work.

"We are." Richard arched an eyebrow. "Finally."

"And Will and I are happy we are all here, because..." Rachel tried to chime in but she was nervous as well. As it turned out, she was suddenly very anxious herself.

"Because you are our family and we wanted to spend some time with you. That being said, we thought introducing you was a good idea since Rach and I are very committed to each other." Will finished her sentence feeling insane amounts of pressure.

"That's just so cute." Richard smiled. "But be honest; were you two together before you came here?" The man tilted his head. "I'm sure all parents present are wondering the same even though you've previously denied it."

"I know what you mean. We had the same suspicion, Richard." Martha agreed.

"You really think that?" Will asked in shock.

"It's not that we don't believe you, or that we don't like what you have, but everything happened quite fast." Sebastian admitted.

"We know that." Rachel smiled. "And we were surprised as well when we realized we couldn't spend a single moment apart, but we never lied; we fell in love in New York when we were no longer teacher and student respectively, not before.." She nodded.

"Noted." Sebastian nodded as well.

"Is there anything else you want to announce?" Robert said biting his lip as Richard blankly starred at the ceiling.

"Well, actually..." Will intended to reply.

"Oh my God! You know! How can you know?" Rachel cut Will off. "Will, they know about your job!"

"Finn might have said something on Poker Night... then Santana took all our money again and ate the last brownie. I think they work together..." Richard admitted, causing Will, Rachel AND the Schuesters to press their eyes closed for an instant and at the same time.

"And? Thoughts?" Rachel inquired knowing their dads obviously had something to say on the matter.

"Well, above everything, your best friend is a hell of a Poker player." Richard laughed.

"That's completely beside the point." Rachel mumbled, feeling like she and Will were somehow too exposed.

"We think it's very unfortunate that anyone would lose their job in such a way. This doesn't alter the fact we approve of this relationship." Robert reassured them. "Shelby had no right to do what she did."

"Thank you for the support." Will breathed out.

"Will, we trust Rachel, and we are happy to see her this happy; besides, you are a grown up man with a degree already, not some college student that could be trying to take advantage of her." Richard said nodding.

"Or a naive boy that helps his girlfriend win at Poker and loses his money in the process..." Robert giggled, causing Martha to do so too.

"People lose their jobs in this economy, it happens. You were the target of misdirected anger coming from Shelby." Richard added, surprising everyone in the room. "The woman has issues."

"That's what we think too." Martha concurred. "Will and Rachel are not to blame."

"Of course not." Richard smiled. "Since they crossed paths, Will has always played a big part in Rachel's happiness; it's no wonder she fell in love with your son. Shelby was clearly threatened by that from the get go and I assume when she found out they were romantically involved she wanted to do the cruelest thing she could think of. It's all very unfortunate."

"Okay, now that is out of the way..." Rachel sighed. "I, for one, think we should be talking about something less tragic."

"Rach and I have a duet for all of you." Will smirked trying to cover his shock and in an effort to make Rachel's pain fade away. He knew the mention of her biological mother affected her deeply.

"Wonderful." Sebastian stated.

"I think you will enjoy it but first, Will and I should get the brownies from the kitchen. They are vegan." The brunette stood up and pull from Will's hand.

"We'll be right back." Will quickly said while walking with her to the kitchen.

"Wow, that was unexpected. I'm going to murder Fanta! THAT was a 'Push it' scenario!" Rachel said furiously. "Are you okay, Will?" She asked softly.

"Yes, honey. We had to tell them sooner or later and they didn't make a big deal out of it; we are fine." He squeezed her hand and smiled at her. In all honesty, he was glad the band aid had been ripped, and he wanted to laugh at Rachel's "Push it" comparison.

"How can you be this calm?" Rachel laughed. "I thought I was going to lose it!"

"Because we seem to have all the support in the world, Rach." Will smiled and pulled her closer for a hug. "We are okay." He said with confidence a she hugged him back.

"You are right, besides, we have each other." She whispered, clearly overwhelmed.

"We do." Will rubbed her back.

"I love you Will Schuester." Rachel pecked his lips.

"And I love you, Rachel Berry." He rested his hands on her lower back. "We can do this."

"I know. Luckily, we have a song and tons of activities planned in order to make this family gathering a success." She rested her head against his chest.

"They just want to spend some time with us, Rach. If they wanted to judge us, they would have already. Don't worry so much." Will said lovingly as he rubbed circles in her lower back, each time pressing his fingers a little harder against the fabric of her thin dress. "Sweetheart, are you not wearing underwear?" He locked eyes with her and noticed she was biting her lip. "Rach!"

"I was not expecting you to show up with my dads, Will." She blushed as his jaw dropped open. "I wanted to surprise you but..." Will didn't let her finish her sentence as he crashed his lips to hers claiming her mouth with a brutal kiss that could only escalate given the circumstances. Soon enough she was deepening the kiss and stroking his neck, as he backed her against the counter. The four parents in the living room forgotten for a moment.

"Rach, this is getting out of control." Will whispered to her ear.

"I'm sorry." She giggled. "We need to go back with those brownies." She pulled away slightly and pecked his lips. "And I need to put my panties back on. I can't be having coffee with your parents and mine in such a state."

"It would be too distracting for me." Will sighed. "But ultimately sexy."

"I know." She laughed. "You take care of the brownies, I'm going to the bedroom." Rachel untangled herself from his arms and left the kitchen as quickly as she could, in fear that if she didn't, she and Will could get too carried away.

"Deal." Will said blinking a few times, still unable to believe she had been sitting on her couch in front of both their parents sans underwear. With shaky hands, the former teacher placed the brownies on a plate and returned to the living room.

Once Rachel came back from her bedroom, she found Will, the Schuesters and the Berrys eating the vegan brownies and engaging in easy conversation. She sat again next to Will, who couldn't stop staring at her, and smiled at the whole scene.

"Sorry I left; I wanted to introduce her to you. What did I miss?" Rachel said smiling wide as she reappeared holding the cat in her arms. That was the only excuse she could think of to not let anyone know what had made her go to her bedroom.

"Not much, Will was telling us how proud he is of you going to college and auditioning on the side." Robert beamed. "Aw, the Scherry kitty!"

"She's mine, not Will's." Rachel nodded. "Hence, a Berry."

"Well, she is sort of mine too, Rach," Will smiled, stroking the little creature's head, not noticing how the four parents in the room were exchanging all kinds of looks.

"Maybe." Rachel smiled and locked eyes with him.

"She is, honey. I've been here for every important moment of hers." Will pointed out, suddenly realizing his mother had gotten to him in the worst of ways. Rachel gave him a quizzical look; she had never heard Will being so passionate about the pet.

"Well, that's true..." She scanned his eyes.

"We are all hoping you both get call backs soon." Sebastian cleared his throat breaking the somewhat awkward moment.

"We are too. I mean, casting directors need to really wise up! We were meant to shine!" Rachel let out a laugh, she was finally feeling comfortable. "Besides, I am talented but patience is not among my many qualities."

"Oh, we know, child." Robert shook his head. "When she was little, she would throw tantrums whenever we were in any kind of waiting line."

"And if I recall correctly, she held a grudge against a specific employee at the supermarket. He was a slow cashier and Rachel hated him." Richard added.

"That sounds like you, sweetheart." Will placed his hand on her knee.

"I just dislike to feel my time is wasted for no good reason; what is so wrong with that?" Rachel shrugged causing everyone to laugh.

"Speaking of waiting, when are we going to hear your duet?" Sebastian reminded them.

"Oh, right now!" Rachel grinned as Will picked the guitar that was still next to the couch.

"Lovely." Martha beamed. "Can I hold the kitty, now?" She smiled like a crazy woman.

"Sure." Rachel stood and gave her the flurry creature, unaware of what everyone but her was thinking.

"Thanks. She's just so cute! Seb, you need to record this performance, darling." The woman told her husband.

"Okay, dear." The man said taking his phone from his pocket.

"Oh, that's perfect. Could you share it with us, later?" Richard asked with excitement.

"Absolutely." Sebastian nodded. "All set here, I'm recording already." He told Will and Rachel.

"Ready?" Will asked the brunette as she sat.

"Always." She winked at him.

"Okay, 1,2,3..." Will started to play the first chords of "When the stars go blue" as Rachel slowly swayed giving him a loving look.

"_Dancin' when the stars go blue._.." Will grinned locking eyes with Rachel.

"_Dancin' when the evening fell_..." She rested her hand on his knee since that was the only way to have some physical contact with him. 

"_Dancin' in your wooden shoes_..." He smiled to himself, proud that her touch hadn't taken his breath away.

"_In a wedding gown_..." She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"_Dancin' out on 7th street_  
><em>Dancin' through the underground<em>" He turned to their parents who were perplexed watching them. Martha was holding the kitten strongly, Sebastian was concentrated looking at the phone's screen, Robert was cradling his head with his own hands, and Richard was tapping him fingers against his husband's leg.

"_Dancin' with the marionette__  
><em>_Are you happy now_?" Rachel closed her eyes for a second, letting the lyrics sink in.

"_Where do you go when you're lonely__  
><em>_Where do you go when you're blue__  
><em>_Where do you go when you're lonely__  
><em>_I'll follow you__  
><em>_When the stars go blue__  
><em>_stars go blue__  
><em>_stars go blue__  
><em>_stars go blue_"

They harmonized together.

"_Laughin' with your pretty mouth_" Will sang with his eyes filled with love for the woman singing along with him.

"_Laughin' with your broken eyes_." Rachel blew him a kiss, knowing that was definitely a Kodak moment of theirs. 

"_Laughin' with your lover's tongue_..." Will raised an eyebrow, now thinking they could have changed that particular verse.

"_In a lullaby_..." Rachel was giggling inside, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"_Where do you go when you're lonely__  
><em>_Where do you go when you're blue__  
><em>_Where do you go when you're lonely__  
><em>_I'll follow you__  
><em>_When the stars go blue__  
><em>_stars go blue__  
><em>_stars go blue__  
><em>_stars go blue_."

They finished the song together and kept looking at each others eyes as the two parental units gave them a standing ovation.

Will left the guitar on the floor, and he and Rachel stood up and gave their audience a little bow, then they locked lips quickly.

"That was... words, I need words!" Richard said jumping up and down like a schoolgirl as everyone burst into a collective laughter.

"I'm going to make that my ringtone." Martha proudly announced.

"We are glad you enjoyed it." Rachel smiled while sitting once again.

"I think the video is going to be shaky; you moved me." Sebastian admitted.

"Well done, you two." Robert clapped again. "Now I would like to hold our pretend granddaughter." He turned to Martha, nonchalantly.

In that second, Rachel connected the dots and felt her blood freeze for a second. All of a sudden she understood she and Will had been playing house almost since they had gotten together and it had happened in a natural way, but she felt she had so much to figure out in her life... if Will hadn't grabbed her hand in that second, she would have fainted. Rachel pushed her thoughts aside as everyone started to make small talk again. That wasn't the time to have an epiphany and she knew it.

The evening was very relaxed after the performance. Instead of going out, everyone agreed, take out was a good option. So they continued to share childhood memories of Will and Rachel as plates of food and the kitty were passed around. After a five-hour long family reunion/introduction, both Will and Rachel's parents called it a night and left, exchanging hugs, more appraisal, and cell phone numbers. Finally, Sherry had a second alone.

"That was very intense." Will laughed closing the door, still hearing his mother's laughter. But when he turned to Rachel she was sitting in the couch, holding her cat for dear life, and staring at her shoes. "Rach?" Will's tone filled with concern as he made his way towards her and sat in his place. The brunette didn't make eye contact with him, didn't say a word; instead, she started to cry uncontrollably. "Rachel, honey, what is it? Stress? Or you missing them? Or, wait, are these happy tears, maybe? Rach?" Will rubbed her back.

"All of the above. I'm sorry, I know you hate to see me cry but... ugh." She finally spoke, but was still refusing to look at Will.

"Aw, sweetheart. That's okay, you can cry all you want, just don't be sad. Do you want to talk about it? I'll get you some water..." He pulled away in order to do so but she stopped him by clutching at his shirt.

"No, don't leave. Stay here with me." She looked up and into his eyes, still sobbing.

"Sure." He held her tighter.

"I feel like an utter fraud, Will." Rachel admitted softly. "Here you were, being brave and telling your parents and then mine about losing your job and I couldn't say it..."

"Say what, Rach? I don't understand." Will kissed her head.

"You know what. That thing we don't talk about." She breathed in.

"I think I may have some idea of what you mean, but I'm not sure; can you tell me?"

"College." She blurted out showing pain in her voice and looking down and at her shoes once again.

"That's what I thought." Will tilted her head up so their eyes could meet. "Rach, you are not a fraud. I haven't met anyone as truthful as you are, which is one of the main reasons I love you. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, but..."

"I know college is not what you expected and you are having doubts. I will fully support you, whatever you decide to do." He would have scanned her eyes if she hadn't closed them.

"What would you do?" She opened her eyes again, searching an answer in his.

"Well, I think... you could still learn some things, and that's important. So is a degree nowadays, but if you don't find yourself there and you feel you are wasting your time, then by all means, Rach, don't push yourself. There are other options." Will wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

"Wouldn't that make me a quitter?"

"No, Rach. You are anything but a quitter, and no one would think you are one."

"Would you still be proud of me if I was to drop out of college?"

"Of course I would! And I'm not saying this because I love you. I'll always be proud of you." He kissed her forehead. "However, don't rush into this decision."

"I won't. Thanks, Will." She placed the cat on her lap and took his hands in hers.

"I really can't see you cry." He kissed her lips again. "Do you want some water now?"

"No, I'm fine. I have you." She managed to give him a half smile.

"Always." Will drew her closer to his body.

"You are so sweet, Will; water is insipid." She finally laughed while pressing her forehead to his."I adore you."

"Do you feel any better?" Will whispered.

"Yes." She sighed.

They embraced in silence for a few minutes as words from the past were present in their heads. The same memory was haunting them both; that time on the bleachers when she was feeling lost and he couldn't really fix things for her. Rachel remembered how him touching her shoulder hadn't been enough, and Will was thinking that as long as her dream wasn't coming true, nothing would ever be enough for her.

Somehow Lima's big shots were now an unemployed former teacher and a -possibly- college drop out. That thought scared the hell out of them.


End file.
